Modern Victorian Knitting

Is the term “modern Victorian knitting” an oxymoron? It may seem so to our twenty-first-century ears and eyes, but modern Victorian knitting isn’t an oxymoron. Lots of knitters are using Victorian patterns as jumping-off points for some spectacular designs. A case in point is Katrina King’s knitted scarf in the March/April 2017 issue of PieceWork.

The inspiration for Katrina’s scarf comes from the Striped Border included in Weldon’s Practical Needlework, Volume 5. It’s one of about 100 knitted borders and edgings in the first six volumes of Weldon’s Practical Needlework. Katrina worked the scarf in oh-so-soft merino wool yarn: Cast on 40 stitches, work Rows 1–12 of Katrina’s lace chart 48 times (or more or less, depending on how long you want your scarf to be), and bind off. Voilà—a gorgeous scarf created from a pattern published in 1890!

Katrina King’s knitted scarf was inspired by the knitted Striped Border pattern in Weldon’s Practical Needlework, Volume 5.

If you would like to re-create Katrina’s scarf pattern, download your copy of the March/April issue. The issue is chock-full of other projects, including the Weldon’s instructions for five other knitted edgings and borders, along with photographs of Katrina’s samples worked in Handy Hands Lizbeth size 20 cotton thread on size 0 needles.

Also, remember that if you are an active subscriber to PieceWork magazine, you have unlimited access to previous issues, including March/April 2017. See our help center for the step-by-step process on how to access them.

Discover the fascinating world of Victorian life through its knitters. It’s a glimpse you won’t find elsewhere.

Happy knitting!
Jeane

Jeane Hutchins is a former editor of PieceWork.

Originally published May 31, 2017; updated May 20, 2024.