Weldon’s Mystery Project: Bolster Pincushion

Earlier this month, we shared with you some Weldon’s mystery projects: Knitted Beaded Cuffs, Knitted Rugs, and Worsted Balls. These are all projects that lack an accompanying illustration. Have you been knitting along? Curiosity demands to know what these projects look like! We offer up another mysterious Victorian knitting project from the pages of Weldon’s Practical Needlework, Volume 1: Bolster Pincushion.

Here is the pattern just as it was presented in 1886, with neither alterations nor corrections. We encourage you to cast on Weldon’s Bolster Pincushion and email us a photo at piecework@longthreadmedia.com.

Happy knitting!
Elizabeth

Bolster Pincushion.

These tiny bolster pincushions are very useful for hanging on a gentleman’s looking-glass, also for bazaars, &c., and may be made as follows. Materials—1 oz. of pink Berlin, and four No. 16 knitting-needles. Cast on 12 stitches on one needle, and 6 on each of the other two. Knit first round plain. 2nd round—* Knit 1, wool forward, slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over, knit 1, knit 2 together, thread over, repeat from . 3rd round—Knit plain. 4th round— Knit 2, wool over, slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over, wool over, knit 1, repeat from *. Repeat third and fourth rounds alternately for five inches. Make up a bolster of pink satin or silk, finished with ribbon bows. Put a ribbon from end to end for hanging up the pincushion.