The illustration below is from The Art of Knitting, Butterick Pub. Co., London, 1892. This is the only illustration of this particular pence jug I have found to date. You can see the original document at httn:/lin700o00u. orohivnora/10litoma/ortoflnittina00hutt/ortoflnittina00hutt ndf
A Victorian Pence Jug Purse.
Trying to knit a vintage pattern can be a bit of a nightmare due to the errors in the pattern. Sometimes vital steps are omitted and/or numbers are incorrect. It may take a while to figure out just what the problem is. Perhaps just as trying, the language used is to0 abstruse to be easily comprehended. Then too, there may be no illustration to hint at what the finished item is to look like. The last problem makes me think that it must have been a courageous act of faith to even start a large project, being that a great many were knitted at a very fine gauge (at least eight and up to twenty stitches to the inch (!) and would thus take a great many hours to complete, not knowing for sure what your going to end up with. It takes careful reading(s) to get a basic idea of shape and stitch pattern etc. and then, (how do we say it?) “A picture is worth a thousand words.” At least. One also wonders how many of those patterns lacking illustrations were ever attempted at all. Or how many, once started, were eventually abandoned. One difficulty in deciphering some vintage paterns is trying to figure the designer's intent. Are the numbers correct here or are they the ones in error? Sometimes one finds a direction to perform some knitting operation and there are just not enough stitches or perhaps far too many. Or the repetitions result in an incorrect figure or pattern. Most directions assume the knitter is well-versed in the art of knitting and much is not given. No spoon feeding there! Additionally, because of the language used, there might be several legitimate interpretations for any element and many times one cannot say beyond all doubt what was intended. Intuition and one's personal sense of esthetics might be called upon. Sometimes one just makes a stab at it and weighs the result as “close enough'". The following pence jug pattern has appeared in several published versions, all botched up in various ways. Certain mistakes appear in each version, some mistakes are peculiar to one or the other. I think, perhaps, that this is due to each author or editor taking an already published pattern and altering it just enough too skirt copyright issues without proofing the pattern either in print or by test knitting it. Of course, I'm speculating here. I'm not sure where I first encountered this pattern. I do know I worked it in the late 8Os from a photostatic copy of Fancy Work Recreations by Eva Marie Niles (published in 1884, Minneapolis, MN.) This version has an error unique to it: there should be two sets of twelve increases and the second set is missing. Additionally, the first set is worded in such a way that the knitter must think all the numbers out beforehand or else be caught up short later and have to do some raveling. I have included the pattern, as published, below. I have found several versions of this pattern. It has appeared in The Art of Knitting, 1892, Butterick Pub. Co. London and NY (see screen-cap below), The Home Book for Young Ladies, 1876, London, England, and the one reproduced at the end of this document The Lady's Knitting-Book, 1874, by E.M.C. (Elvina Mary Corbould) London and the one at the beginning. All of these are available in PDF (or other) form online. I haven't yet encountered the pattern in a Weldon's publication. Other versions may exist. If you know of another, please let me know. What follows is my interpretation of this particular pence jug (one that I have yet to see in an example from the period) and though I wouldn't necessarily call it definitive, I think it is what was meant by the original designer. I have worked variations of the pattern as I explored it and have worked at least one experimental variation to suit myself. You are free to do the same and I encourage you to do so, if you are so inclined. I would love to see what you come up with using any of the old patterns. Pence Jug. @ 2012 RDJenkins. Materials: All the versions I have encountered call for very fine wool or knitting silk and very fine needles ranging from 00 (1.75mm) to 00000 (1mm). #16 needles are called for in the example at the end of this document. Presently, there is no equivalent for that size. It lies between 00 and 000 (1.5mm and 1.75mm.) This isn't terribly important in any case, since the size of the purse can freely vary to taste, and that small difference is really inconsequential anyway, due to the varying tensioning each knitter uses. Aim for a fabric that isn't too loose. I have worked the purse in fingering wool on O00 needles and a charmingly dainty jug results. It measures 2 3%4 inches in height. Though it's charmingly cute, it may actually be smaller than originally intended. I believe that the same wool and size O0 needles yields a version closer to the originally intended one, judging by the proscribed handle length of 3 inches. I have also used cotton that normally knits up @5 sts per inch (Stacy Charles’ \*"Cotton Classic"), using several needle sizes. The resultant jug will be between 4 and 5 inches depending, and a bit “plumper' than if wool was used. Really, one could use whatever is at hand for fun, but for true replication, additional research may be called for. The original patterns all called for two greatly contrasting (and sometimes shocking) solid colors of yarn. Pink and black appears in more than one pattern and I intend to work it up someday using those colors. Using what I had on hand, I made one purse with green stripes on purple and another with purple stripes on green. I thought those were a bit much until I found a pattern calling for violet and orange yarn. Gotta love that Victorian sensibility! The lighter color (A) is for the main part and the darker contrasting yarn (B) is for the stripes. I've reversed the light and dark yarns, but personally find it less attractive. Suit yourself. As far as the yardage needed, I haven't figured the yardage used for any purses I've made. One version calls for /2 ounce "Andalusian" in two colors and was said to yield three purses. I know you'd have a good bit of the contrast color left over. "Andalusian” wool was a yarn with a weight between fingering and sport weight. Another version calls for Berlin Wool (used primarily for embroidery and needlepoint) and was in the neighborhood of our present day crewel yarn or perhaps a light fingering yarn. leedles will be used in a size suited to the yarn but usually smaller than is normally called for
The pattern:
Starting at the jug's lip, with color A, cast on 42 sts and arrange on 3 double-point needles 12-18-12. Join in a circle and knit four rounds. Round 5: k1 (p2, k2) 3x, p2, ssk, k8, k2tog, p2 (k2, p2) 3x, k1. Round 6: k1 (p2, k2) 3x, p2, ssk, k6, k2tog, p2 (k2, p2) 3x, k1. Round 7: k1 (p2, k2) 3x, p2, ssk, k4, k2tog, p2 (k2, p2) 3x, k1. Round 8: k1 (p2, k2) 3x, p2, ssk, k2, k2tog, p2 (k2, p2) 3x, k1. Round 9: k1 (p2, k2) 3x, p2, k4, p2 (k2, p2) 3x, k1. Round 10: k1 (p2, k2) 3x, p2, ssk, k2tog, p2 (k2, p2) 3x, k1. Round 11: k1 (p2, k2) 3x, p2, k2, p2 (k2, p2) 3x, k1. Round 12: k1 (p2, k2) 3x, p2, k2tog, k2, p2 (k2, p2) 3x, k1. You should have 31 sts. Round 25: Join in color B and knit twice (front and back, hereafter called “Inc1") in each st. 62 sts. Here I arrange the sts on four needles 16-15-15-16 and knit with the fifth, if I didn't just work the fifth needle in on Rnd. 25. Rounds 26 and 27: Purl. ; 65-73: Continue to decrease 6 sts every round as established, ending up with 2 sts per need Run yarn through the last 6 sts and finish off. Secure all yarn ends if you haven't done so. Now, we make the handle. The original pattern has you cast on 6 sts and knit in stockinet for three inches. This makes a handle whose sides curl inwardly to form a nice slim, rounded handle. One end of the handle to the lip (opposite the spout) and the other to someplace near the top of the jug body. One set of directions has you attach the handle 1/3 inch from its lower end, leaving the end free. I sometimes decrease just a bit at the last so the tip is a little pointed. I usually just pick up the sts through the purled lip. a challenge to pick up the sts through the purled sts, but worth the effort, AFAIC. I like curling the lower end of the handle up, snaillike and attach. I hope you'll try different methods and lengths, styling the handle in different ways before you sew it down and hide the yarn tails. I gently wash my purse at this point and block it to shape with a synthetic fiber-fil product. The jug is generally rounded in most yarns, but I have blocked a woolen one a bit taller, giving it more the look of a cruet rather than a jug. Pence cruet? No...I don't think it'll catch on. Happy Knitting! original pattern is from Fancy Work Recreations by Eva Marie Niles, exactly as publishec KNITTED JUG PURSE. Materials—Pink silk and black silk No. 300. Cutters is best, 5 needles No. 16. Cast on 12 stitches on one needle for the spout, 10 on each of the three other needles; 4 plain rounds. Now do rounds of 2 plain, 2 seam, except the spout, which leave plain, narrowing 1 stitch at each side of the 12 in the first 4 rounds, and 1 stitch on every alternate side in the next 8 rounds. The spout is now finished and you ought to have 31 stitches on the needles. Now knit 2 seam, 2 plain for 12 rounds, except under the spout when 1 stitch is to be plain. With black begin the bowl; increase by knitting 2 stitches in one; seam 2 rounds; 4 plain pink rounds; 1 round with black, increasing 12 stitches (one in every six) seam 2 rounds with black; 4 plain pink rounds; 1 round with black; there ought to be 86 now. Seam 2 rounds black, 6 rounds pink. Seam 2 rounds black, 4 rounds pink. Knit 1 round black, decreasing 10 stitches at intervals. Seam 2 rounds black, 4 rounds pink, 1 round black, narrowing 6. Seam 2 black rounds. You ought now to have 72 stitches. Divide these by 6. Knit 11 pink rounds, narrowing 6 stitches in each round by knitting 2 together at the commencement of each division, where a star of 6 points will be found, and 6 stitches left on needles. These are to be drawn up and sewn together. Now cast on 6 stitches, knit and seam till you have done 3 inches. This is for the handle; attach one end to the bowl and the other to the top of the jug.
