Crochet patterns

From Woman's Weekly, 23rd March 1918.

The Paper With The Best Crochet Patterns!

Instructions inside!

A LOVELY COSY-COVER.

The instructions for working this beautiful Tea-Cosy Design are so simple that anyone could follow them.  Even a beginner would have no difficulty in working this handsome piece of work.

A LITTLE BAG FOR YOUR SUGAR.

This little bag for carrying sugar would make a useful little gift for a girl friend.  Everyone uses them now when going to a restaurant, or a friend's house for tea.

[The tea-cosy cover featured in this post, after I had looked at the 1918 issues of Woman's Weekly in the British Library - we have a tea cosy made to this pattern in the Knitting & Crochet Guild collection.

Sugar was severely rationed by this time, so expecting hosts to provide sugar to go in cups of tea or coffee was evidently considered impolite. Presumably the sugar was in lumps, though the crochet was lined with silk.] 

Table-Mats From String.

From Woman’s Weekly, 16th March 1918.

Table-Mats From String.

THIS little mat being published by special request, for some readers have collected all odd pieces of string of the same thickness, and want to make mats for their kitchen tables.  Of course, from macrame string, or other string of good appearance, you could make a mat fit for any table or on the sideboard before placing hot dishes on it.  The string used for the mine-sweepers' gloves makes the better mats.  Use a strong steel hook, coarse enough to take the string. 

ABBREVIATIONS : Ch., chain ; d.c., double crochet ; tr., treble. 

Work rather tightly. and begin with 3 ch.  Into the first of the ch. make 5 d.c., and draw up the end of the string so as to close the centre compactly. 

2ND ROUND:  2 d. c. into every stitch of preceding round.  Take up the back loop of the stitches throughout, so as to get a ribbed effect. –

3RD ROUND:  * 2 d.c. into the first stitch, d.c. in the next; repeat from * all round.  The increasing is begun in this round.

4TH ROUND:  * 2 d.c. into first stitch, 1 d.c. in each of next 2 stitches; repeat from * all round. 

5TH ROUND: * 2 d.c. into first stitch, 1 d.c. in each of next 3 stitches; repeat from *.

You will notice that every round begins with an increasing made by working 2 d.c. into the first stitch of preceding round, and the number of d.c. between each increase is one more in each section in each round. 

Continue to work in this way until there are thirteen stitches between the increasings.  By following these instructions the mat may be made any required size, and will set quite flat on the table.  

When the middle is done, work the fans all round.  In the first d.c. of preceding round, make * 1 tr., then 2 ch. and 1 tr. 4 times, 3 ch., miss three, 1 d.c., 3 ch., miss 3; repeat from * all round, and finish with a slipstitch into the first tr.  Cut off the string and run in the end securely at the back of the mat.

The Ideal Helmet for a Sailor

From the "Woman's Own” Crochet Supplement 20th March 1915.

The Ideal Helmet for a Sailor

This has been designed so that when worn as a cap the flaps fasten above the centre of crown, and when lowered fasten beneath the chin, and, with the cap pulled well over, forms complete protection for the head; a comfort much appreciated by our soldiers and sailors, and far more acceptable than the usual cap.  This design is also suitable for convalescent Tommies able to lie or sit out of doors.  Use Beehive 4-ply Scotch fingering and No. 6 hook.

Wind the wool into two balls, and work from both at the same time.  The crown is worked firmly throughout in half treble (h. tr.) as follows: Wool over, insert hook in stitch, draw through, wool over, draw through the 3 loops on hook. Make a slip-knot, and work into it 8 h. tr., join with s.s.

2nd round: 2 h. tr. into each stitch of previous round, working the first into top thread of h. tr. (near the forefinger), and for the second insert hook into the same stitch, and also through the horizontal thread at the back of the stitch (16 stitches).
3rd round: 1 h. tr. into each stitch of previous round, inserting hook under top thread and also through the thread at the back of the same stitch.  Join a piece of coloured thread to mark the commencement of round.
4th round : Same as 2nd round.
5th round : Same as 3rd round.
6th round : * 1 h. tr. in 1st, 2 h. tr. in next stitch; repeat from *.
7th round : Same as 3rd.
8th round : 1 h.tr. into each of the first 2 stitches, 2 h. tr. in next.
9th and 10th round: Same as 3rd.
11th round : * 1 h. tr. into each of the first 3 stitches, 2 h. tr. in next; repeat from *.
12th round : Same as 3rd.
13th round : Same as 11th.
14th round : Same as 3rd.
15th to 22nd round: 1 h. tr. into each h. tr. of previous round.
23rd round : Turn work, s.s. into each stitch, taking up back thread.
Then commence ear-flaps :
1st row : * 1 s.s. into each of the next 22 stitches.  Turn this and each successive row with 1 ch.
2nd row : Miss 1st stitch, 1 s.s. into each of the remaining stitches, working into ch. which turned previous row.
3rd to 5th row : Same as 2nd.
6th to 18th row : 1 s.s. into each stitch of previous row.
19th and 20th row : Same as 2nd.
21st row : Same as 6th. Repeat last 3 rows twice.

Then decrease one in each row until there are only 5 stitches in the row; work on these 5 stitches until the top of flap reaches centre of crown of cap, make 7 ch., fasten to end stitch.  S.s. twice round flap, d.c. across 30 stitches for front of cap, and repeat -from 1st row for second flap. Do not make loop at top, but cover a small mould with d.c. and sew to the top. Thread a wool needle with a length of wool, and run round the edge of each flap, draw up slightly at top so that the flaps fit snugly.

A Crocheted Invalid's Slipper

From Woman's Own, 3rd October 1914.

Quickly Worked Invalid's Slipper

Two and a half ounces of J. & J. Baldwin's 3-ply White Heather, Grey Wheeling, or a 4-ply Beehive Scotch Fingering.  No. 10 hook.   Work firmly throughout.

Commence with 7 ch., turn, miss the 1st chain, 1 d.c. into each of the next 5 ch., 3 d.c into the 6th ch., then work down the opposite side of the ch., making 1 d.c. into each stitch. Turn. Make 1 ch. to turn each row, and be careful not to miss the 1st stitch in each row which is directly under the hook. Always pick up the back thread nearest forefinger.

2nd row:  1 d.c. into each stitch of previous row. Work forwards and backwards, making 3 d.c. into the centre stitch of every other row until there are 42 stitches in the row.

To make a firm edge, insert the hook through both threads when working the last stitch of each row.

Now commence the side. Work d.c. into d.c. on the first 11 stitches of the front, and continue working forwards and backwards (11 stitches) for 5 ridges, then increase 1 stitch at top edge in every 5th row until you have 14 stitches.  Work 14 stitches to the row until the centre of the back is reached.  The second half of the sides is worked to correspond, decreasing at the top edge to 11 stitches in the row.  Join neatly to the front of slipper, and s.-s. on the right side of the work around the lower edge. With a coloured wool make 4 rows of s.-s. round the top edge.  When working the s.-s. do not pull the loop upward as in d.c, but draw it towards you.

Fleecy soles can be purchased for a few pence, or ⅛-inch-thick leather can be bought at a saddler's. Stand a man's slipper on a piece of felt or leather, pencil round, and cut to the pencil mark, sew a piece of flannel inside, and stitch with thick thread the crocheted slipper to the sole, putting the needle backwards and forwards closely, an eighth of an inch from the edge of the material.

Send your garments when finished to Stores Dept., British Red Cross Society, 83, Pall Mall, London, S.W., or to your local branch of the British Red Cross Society.  A list of contents should be placed outside each parcel sent.

[Do these instructions make sense?  Not to me, just reading them through, but then I haven't very much crochet experience, and they might make more sense if you were working through them. But it would make more sense still to buy professionally-made slippers for the sick and wounded. It would be hard work to sew leather soles onto a crocheted upper by hand, with ordinary sewing tools.  Amateurs would be slow, and would be likely to get poor quality results, I think.]