A short post on how to read the Oakleaf Edging

Hello all,

Sorry for the lack of The Household on Friday. It was because I was preparing this post over the weekend.

I received an email from someone asking about how to use these patterns because she couldn't understand the terminology.

Excellent question!

Let's take the 4th row of the Oakleaf Edging:
Fourth row-knit three plain, seam one, knit two plain, seam one, knit three plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit two plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together, knit two plain.

Looks like a foreign language, right? Let's break it down:

1886:                                    2012:

Fourth row                            Fourth row
knit three plain                       K3

seam one                               P1

knit two plain                         K2

seam one                               P1

knit three plain                       K3

throw thread over twice         2YO

seam two together                 P2tog

knit two plain                         K2

throw thread over twice         2YO

seam two together                 P2tog

knit two plain                        K2

So the line that formerly looked like this:

Fourth row-knit three plain, seam one, knit two plain, seam one, knit three plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit two plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together, knit two plain.

is now:

Fourth Row: K3, P1, K2, P1, K3, 2YO, P2tog, K2, 2YO, P2tog, K2

Sounds much better, right? But to know that, you would need to know that "throw thread over twice" is the same as two yarn overs. I rely on lists like this one to see what the terms are, and then its the same as translating over any pattern.

Still a bit confusing? Wanting to take it to the next step? I thought you might. Stay tuned!

Dorcas from Illinois: Child's Knitted Sash

Dorcas from Illinois wrote a cute pattern for a child's knitted sash in last week's column:

"Child's Knit Sash
This sash is pretty knit of worsted to match a flannel dress for little girls. Cast on a hundred and twenty-five stitches, knit round and round like the leg of a stocking, without widening or narrowing, for a length of two and a quarter yards. Dampen and press flat. Draw up the ends and finish with a ball or tassel. It takes about five and a half ounces of worsted for one."

I was emailed a comment by an anonymous reader that they were wondering how I surmised that this was a fine yarn in small needles. Well, I'm glad I was asked! Sometimes its best to just trust the writer of the pattern and go for it and see what happens, but other times, its much better to think and then knit.

Let's start with what we know:
-"knit of worsted"
-"125 stitches"
-"knit round and round like the leg of a stocking"
-"length of two and a quarter yards"
-Drawn up ends tied with tassel
-"five and a half ounces of worsted for one"

I admit...I totally read by the comment "of worsted" when I typed this one up. To the modern knitter in the USA, "worsted" signifies a weight class of yarn, signified by its most famous version, Red Heart Super Saver (RHSS). We've all seen it and used it. Its okay - you can admit it!

But prior to the 1950s when RHSS came on the scene, we have to go back to the beginning of what worsted yarn truly is. When spinning wool, there are different ways to spin the yarn. Worsted actually refers to the type of spinning, not the weight. Check this link out. About halfway down, you'll see the "soft woolen yarn" and the "worsted yarn" - see the difference? It really means a smooth, evenly spun yarn.

So we're back at square one. But we have some clues that will help us figure this out:
-"125 stitches"
-"five and a half ounces"
-"knit round and round"
-"two and a quarter yards"

We know this is 125 stitches, knit in the round, and uses 5.5 ounces of yarn.  If you're thinking about the structure of a sash, you'll know they are worn horizontally. 2.25 yards would be extremely tall if we were knitting this from top to bottom, so we know we are knitting side to side. 125 stitches in worsted weight yarn would have been very bulky, so we know it would have had to be smaller weight than that! So I can pull out my handy chart of vintage yarn sizes and see 4 ply - single zephyr yarn - now known as fingering. That seems like it could be right - 125 stitches would be about 1.5 times the size of the average sock, so that would make a wide, but not uncomfortable belt.

We don't have a needle size, so the only thing we can really do is guesstimate, and then figure out if it was 5.5 ounces. Regarding the needles, this would have been done on double pointed needles, as circular knitting needles were not invented until the 20th century. We're still about 40 years too early for them - which also helps us indicate the size, as the thin double points from this time period are all small in size, not bulky. The largest I've ever seen in a museum are for DK weight yarn, no bigger than a size six.

In the end, all you'd then need to do is either work the maths to see if you're right, or work a swatch to see if the knitted fabric looks correct to you. Our knitting ancestors tended to teach each other the intuitive knowledge to be able to feel if the fabric is right, something that many of us lack now, so I recommend swatching.

Good luck with your sash, anonymous reader! I wish you well.

The Household - Narrow Knit Edge and Child's Knit Sash

Last week I posted a blog about a newspaper column from the Detroit Free Press in the 1880s. May Perrin Goff, the editor, continues to fascinate me.

I can't imagine, for example that I could write so politely to "Beauty's Note Book" that "a series of articles on the subject of the toilet would be appreciated" with the same caliber as "Dark Rosamond", "Kindergarten Mother" and "Desdichado" about everything from forwarding letters, welcoming back contributors, and sending missing columns.

"Desdichado" in particular struck me. It means unfortunate in Spanish, something that struck me as being an unusual name in the Midwest in the 1880s. Then I remembered that Desdichado is a name that also appears in Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott from 1820. So an educated lady lacking her Household column of recipes, patterns, and household tips might indeed, be an unfortunate one, just like the jousting knight in the story who turned out to be someone else (Wilfred of Ivanhoe, if I recall correctly).

Dorcas of Illinois makes her first appearance in the column on January 2, 1886. She's apparently an accomplished knitter, contributing not one but two patterns to this week.

"Narrow Knit Edge
Cast on eight stitches.
First row - Slip one, knit two, thread over, slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over, knit one, wool over twice, knit one, wool over twice, knit one
Second row - Knit two, purl one, knit two, purl one, knit two, purl one, knit three.
Third row - Slip one, knit two, wool over, slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over, knit the rest plain.
Fourth row - bind off until only seven stitches are on the left hand needle and one on the right; knit three, purl one, knit the rest; commence at first row again."

Here we see a characteristic of the column - there is a very wordy pattern that gives us just enough detail to make it work, and yet, gives us no information about the shape of the piece, stitch counts, or charts to help us visualize it.

"Child's Knit Sash
This sash is pretty knit of worsted to match a flannel dress for little girls. Cast on a hundred and twenty-five stitches, knit round and round like the leg of a stocking, without widening or narrowing, for a length of two and a quarter yards. Dampen and press flat. Draw up the ends and finish with a ball or tassel. It takes about five and a half ounces of worsted for one."

This one threw me for a bit, as I think of sash and think "Girl Scouts", but in actuality, the sash was a wide belt that was typically tied in the back with a bow, or in this case, tassels. I'm guessing this was made in very fine yarn with double point needles, 125 stitches is quite a lot in the round and circular needles were not invented yet. Probably a fingering or zephyr weight, perhaps smaller even so. Aniline dyes were invented by 1870s, so bright colors could be used like scarlet red, navy, plum, and puce could have been used for it. FashionEra.com shows a good example of a sash with a dress from 1880. Aside from the hair/hat, this little girl is a good example of what kids today can look like in their dresses for special occasions.

The Household: Oakleaf Edging

When I was helping clean my grandparents house to ready it for sale in Lake Orion, I came upon some curious clippings that were helping hold the photographers together in a pile. They were so old and brittle that most of them just fell apart in my hands. But from a couple of the larger chunks, I learned that the clippings were part of a column called "The Household" and that it was from the Detroit Free Press.

Its likely that these clippings were fluff from my great-great-grandparents that disintegrated over time. My great grandmother Barry Mae Perry was well known for her embroidery, but no one I've talked to has ever mentioned she was good at knitting or crocheting, either. Since we don't know anything about the great-greats, its anyone's guess.

May Perrin Goff was the editor of The Household, and was the only female editorial staff of the Detroit Free Press. She "does a man's work, get's a man's pay", and "takes her chance with the rest of the boys". I found this fascinating, a female newspaper editor in the 1880s. Submitted from around the distribution area, The Household formed an interesting supplement to the Detroit Free Press, and I imagine that if it was a recipe issue, there were going to be many men having the recipes for supper!

In fact, I'd even call it a primitive form of Ravelry with its "wants and answers" and craft columns. The patterns are likely reprints - looking at the instructions, it seems like it may have appeared earlier and been reprinted as beloved subscriber patterns rather than attributing their regular sources.

Take January 16, 1886 Detroit Free Press.

Wants and Answers:
"Arma" of Chester, asks for a recipe for Swiss salad.
"Mrs. Mary L." of Liverpool, asks for a recipe for a good furniture polish.
"Elna? D" of Michigan, asks how to make chocolate macaroons.
"B.R.F." of London, asks how to crochet a child's sacque in start stitch
"Subscriber" of Allegheny City, PA, asks for recipes for fishballs and corncakes.

Oakleaf Edging, submitted by Pansy, Niles, Michigan
*Pansy even was mentioned in chat "We should be pleased to hear from you again on the subject of knitted work".

"Cast on fourteen stitches, knit across plain.
First row-Knit two plain, throw thread over twice, and seam two together; knit two plain, throw thread over twice, and seam two together; knit one plain, throw thread over twice, and knit two together; throw thread over twice and knit two together, knit one plain
Second row-Knit three plain, seam one, knit two plain, seam one, knit one plain, throw thread over twice, and seam two together; knit two plain; throw thread over twice, and seam two together; knit two plain.
Third row-Knit two plain; throw thread over twice, and seam two together; knit two plain; throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit three plain, throw thread over twice, and knit two together; throw thread over twice, and knit two together; knit one plain.
Fourth row-knit three plain, seam one, knit two plain, seam one, knit three plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit two plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together, knit two plain.
Fifth row-Knit two plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit two plain; throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit five plain, throw thread over twice and knit two together; throw thread over twice and knit two together; knit one plain.
Sixth row-Knit three plain, seam one, knit two plain, seam one, knit five plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit two plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit two plain.
Seventh row-knit two plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit two plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit seven plain, throw thread over twice and knit two together; throw thread over twice and knit two together; knit one plain.
Eighth row - Knit three plain, seam one, knit two plain, seam one, knit seven plain  throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit two plain; throw thread over twice, seam two together; knit two plain.
Ninth row-knit two plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit two plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together, knit fourteen plain.
Tenth row - Knit two plain, bind the first over the second, and so continue knitting and binding until you have bound off eight stitches and have fourteen left on the needles, one on the right hand needle and thirteen on the left hand one; knit five plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit two plain, throw thread over twice and seam two together; knit two plain. This completes one scallop."

First off, I have to mention the genealogy aspect of this. Some of the column regulars become recognizable, and perhaps this Pansy might be a family member. These columns could be an interesting source of evidence for someone who knew their great-greats name or nicknames.

Second, what a change of terminology.
Some Hints:
Seam = purl
throw thread over = yarn over
knit X plain = knit

I had intended on publishing this after I had made a successful oak leaf edging, but find myself more interested in publishing the column that knitting it up immediately.

Daniel Graves - will the dilemma ever end?

Those of you who read the blog regularly know I have been patiently chipping away at the various Daniel Graves' of upper New York for oh, the past decade or so.

At the last juncture, I had this as my leading candidate:

"the Children of Daniel Graves and his wife Jenny"
Births: 
Daniel Graves Junr., born in Andover, NH, Nov 8th, 1802.
William Graves, born Sept 14th, 1811
John Graves, born April 4, 1815
Recorded 22d April 1826 attest: John Kimball, Town Clerk


However, he's pretty much ruled out since we're 95% sure of John Graves' birth being in 1815, making this Daniel 13 years old at time of birth.

Another candidate:

Daniel Graves and Rebecca - hmm - In 1851/2, Daniel Graves, b. 1813 in Vermont is listed in the Malahide, Elgin County, Ontario census with wife Rebecca, daughter Nancy and son James. In 1861, the family is listed in Middlesex, Ontario. In 1871, Daniel is listed as a widow in Mosa, Middlesex West, Ontario. In 1881 he is also listed as a widow in Newbury, Middlesex West, Ontario.

Well, he would again be like, 2 when John was born, so that doesn't really work either.

Another lost cause: Daniel Graves of New Brunswick, married Ann. Children: Adaline, Valentine, Xenophon, Berlin. Again, nope, proven elsewhere and children are born over the dates of my own.

Another one I keep coming back to:

Daniel Graves and Harriet, son of Abraham Graves - (no) - settles in Rochester but is well-documented enough there with only two kids with nowhere near the names I have. The family is quite prestigious and a painting of Daniel is at the local historical society.

Well...this one I guess I haven't put to bed yet. Children Vincent and Amanda, and Daniel is in Rochester for quite some time, going through a court case dissolving his partnership with Charles Robinson. Yet I struggle to believe this is the correct option, as this Daniel seems so documented already.

Another new find this past week: Daniel Graves, going through bankruptcy between 1816 and 1820 in Salem, New York, down in Washington County.

"By order of the honorable Anthony I Blanchard, Esq. first judge of court of common pleas for the county of Washington :— NOTICE is hereby given to all creditors of Daniel Graves, the town of Greenwich, in said county, an insolvent debtor, to shew cause any they have, before the said judge at his dwelling-house in the town of Salem in said county, on the eleventh of May next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon of that day, why an assignment of the said insolvent's estate should be made, and he be discharged, according to the forms of the acts such case made and provided. Dated March 1, 1816 
10w15
DANIEL GRAVES, Insolvent"

I hesitate to include him on the list of candidates, though. I can find little mention of him elsewhere, he would only be 15, and I would think that we could find him on other records.

However, he is on the 1840 census:

name:	Daniel Graves
residence:	Granville, Washington, New York
page number:	204
nara publication number:	M704
nara roll number:	348
film number:	0017209
digital folder number:	004410815
image number:	00416

Source Citation

"United States Census, 1840," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHBS-1PR : accessed 16 July 2012), Daniel Graves, Granville, Washington, New York.

So there's that. On the other hand, there is a tantalizing clue in Granville that might make sense:

"Rufus Graves (759) was born 26 Feb. 1792 in Conway, Mass., and died 1 Aug. 1851 in Granville, Washington Co., N.Y.  He married Sophronia Newcomb, daughter of Hezekiah Newcomb and Lydia Hunt, on 26 Feb. 1815.  She was born 10 Jan. 1778 in Bernardston, and died 23 Aug. 1838 in Granville.  They lived in Guilford, Vt., and later moved to Granville in 1825, where he was engaged for many years in trade.  (R‑200)

Children - Graves

+1716.  Hezekiah Newcomb Graves, b. 11 Oct. 1818, m. Eliza Laura Bishop, 25 Nov. 1839, d. 30 March 1890."

from: Graves Family Association Generation 168

Isn't it though? That's possibly where Hezekiah could have come from, if this is a relation.

But the most interesting piece of information comes from here: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86063615/1897-10-31/ed-1/seq-16/ Aunt Polly Graves of the Cornstalk Indians? Who are the Cornstalk Indians? Why did they die out? Are Daniel and Polly part of a tribe? Again, nothing but questions is left.

So, in an attempt to try to eat away the list of questions, I have petitioned the Bennington County Museum for assistance to see if there is anything about Daniel and Mary "Polly" Ferguson listed in their archives. Even a small mention would help us narrow this target down, and give us some place to go!

I've also started digging into the records of Gouverneur, trying to take some mystery years off the list that way as well.

Any ideas are welcome! Please feel free to comment.

Let's try and save "Who Do You Think You Are?" from NBC Cancellation Doom!

I wrote my letter. Would you write one too? I started with a template of Bill West's, and then made it my own. Its so easy. Take the time to save this quality, educational, and inspiring show!

If you're ready to send your own letter to NBC, go to http://www.nbc.com/contact/general/, choose "Who Do You Think You Are?" from the "Select Show" box. And then share this with your friends and tell them to share too! Its a long shot, but on occasion, fans have been able to bring a show back from the dead zone. The other thing is that the fan outcry can also signal to another network to pick up a show to boost their ratings. Thanks!

Here's my letter if you want a starting shot.

Dear NBC, 

I am greatly disappointed in your decision to cancel Who Do You Think You Are? At a time when there are so many ridiculous so-called "reality shows",  you've chosen to drop the one show on your schedule that is not only educational but inspiring as well. The fact that such a quality program is to be replaced by the likes of Howie Mandel's "White Elephant" is especially disheartening.

There was a time when NBC was known for the quality of its prime time lineup. I'd hoped that "Who Do You Think You Are?" signaled a return to those days - in fact, its one of the few shows left on NBC that I still watch, and one of the rare TV shows I watch on a network station.

In fact, the show has been gaining momentum amongst the people I know - more and more "regular folks" and not just people with an interest in genealogy are watching it because its so interesting and touches people on a level that "Dumb and Dumber" style reality shows do not.

Please reconsider this terrible decision and renew the program. Are you merely doing shows aimed at the very lowest forms of public entertainment, or are you committed to doing right by your viewers?

Thank you very much for your time. I hope this makes a difference!

Concetta Phillipps

Writing...Family History, or Otherwise

I went to an interesting seminar last night on writing and family history. Why? It seems like all of us want to publish something about our family tree, learn a better way to tell the story, or maybe take the story of Grandma chasing Grandpa with a frying pan into a fiction story for the mass market.

A writer hosted the seminar and gave an interesting talk on mostly learning to write down the stories, and letting the other stuff come later. It was a good reminder of what my creative writing teachers always told me - start writing, and the spelling, grammar, paragraph structure, and narrative structure will come later. Our third-fourth grade teachers who graded us on only structure and grammar really did us a disservice in setting up our brains to think that is how "writing" is wired.

The exercise she did in class was abbreviated, since there were so many of us, but I enjoyed it. It started by thinking of a favorite memory. My partner and I couldn't think of one at first, but the act of talking about our past made a really solid memory pop out. For me it was the year I moved to Minnesota when it snowed 30" on Halloween. For her it was a regular trip to San Francisco, but it was the first trip where she became the navigator. Both of us struggled to recall all five senses, but in the end, both of us realized that the value was in recalling at all. Working the five senses questions in "What did you see/smell/taste/touch/hear" actually strengthened the memory considerably.

Her biggest suggestion that I am going to start taking away is to write one "I remember" each day. It doesn't matter if its a Facebook post, a blog entry, a journal entry, a full blown story, or just a note to a loved one. If we try to remember something each day, we'll have the writing to share in the joy of an interesting life, even if our level of interesting is the day we went to the grocery store and tried a new yogurt.

Knitting with Sandra Singh: Judy Marples of Purl Bumps & Giveaway

I rarely discuss other designers on this blog because I figure you probably get the content a million different ways anyway.

However, after I read Knitting with Sandra Singh this morning, I just had to post about Purl Bumps (and not JUST because of the giveaway!).

Purl Bumps is her fledging design blog if you want to take a look. I have to say, I'm so surprised I haven't found her before! Her love of literature, unique locations, and inspirational imagery in her pieces is just smashing.

Another great blog is Knitting with Sandra Singh, who did a lovely profile of Judy and is currently hosting a giveaway! Love those giveaways! In all seriousness, I highly recommend her blog. I'm on Google Friend Connect for it, for example. She's a smart writer and interviews many interesting guests.

Hope you check both blogs out and enjoy!

Why the Argument "Its Too Much Money & Takes Too Much Time" doesn't hold water anymore (or prevent fires)

I posted this on Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter today as a comment, but I thought it deserved its own post. I've expanded upon what I said there below.

The Isanti County Historical Society in Minnesota had their building attacked by arsonists.

They lost everything.

Everything.

The first two comments on the Eastman page said it all to me.

"Shouldn't the arrest and conviction be of those that didn't get the records digitized? Clearly something is broken in the historical society model."

"If it did not require thousands of dollars and thousands of man-hours, I’m sure all societies would “get the records digitized.” When someone makes such a comment, I can’t help but wonder how much money and how many volunteer hours they give to their local historical and genealogical societies in support of digitization projects…"

You know, this is the same argument that's been waging on for a while.

Digitize and back up records?

"No, I can't, its too much money and too many hours"

"But you must, what happens if there's a disaster?"

"That would be horrible. But its too much money and too many hours. We don't have enough help or money to do it."

Here's where I think most people are lacking. It IS possible to do a digitization project without having thousands in the bank and armies of volunteers!

I understand. You're tired. You've been with the same core of volunteers since 1911, and it ain't about to change anytime soon. If it needs to get done, you've got to do it, and that's one MORE thing you have to fit into your schedule.

But...there's a thought. What if you did go out for more volunteers? What if you did start working on a project. What if you could get people energized about history and genealogy? Maybe you wouldn't have to be the ONE volunteer left.

If you're with me, and ready to make that leap, read on. If not, and you're already irritated with what I've said, feel free to comment or move on.

Need volunteers? How about posting on volunteermatch.org? How about reaching out to your local Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts troops? How about reaching out to the local Junior Chamber and your Chamber of Commerce? Have you reached out to your local university or community college? Developing a digitization project could be a great project for some interns! Have you reached out to local bloggers, Google+ users, Twitterers, Facebook users? These people can all be a source for volunteers.

Need money? Run a project - sell a digital cookbook or history book. Or a hard copy one. Or sell Tupperware, run a fundraising night at a local restaurant or bakery, or open a cause on Facebook. Work with a local group to fundraise like the Junior Chamber or Chamber of Commerce or Development Corporations. Do a calendar like Calendar Girls did! Auction off hours of your time for other people. Think like any other organization - wash cars - do whatever it takes to get some seed money together. So many organizations I've seen solely confine how they fundraise to just genealogy type projects - a local history, a history day, selling research time, selling memberships. Those are great, but they aren't the ONLY things you can do!

Or work to partner with a local organization to help with some of the costs - one of my favorite societies partnered with a local library to get ALL of their newspapers scanned. The library hosts the data the society scans for them and OCRs for them.

Another group I've worked with worked with their local phone company to sponsor pages on their member-only website with old phone records. It just depends on where your group's strength lies - sponsorships work great for orgs with members in the business community.

Need knowledge of how to do the process? Reach out to people like Dick Eastman and others that willingly give out tons of good instruction guides and reviews.

All you really need to do is make sure that there are digital copies of your documents out there with your members. You don't have to build some slick website. You don't have to OCR your files (though that is nice...). You don't have to even have them in PDFs (TIF files in a labeled folder work just fine). You need to get those digital copies, and put several discs/hard drives/flash drives out there with your members (you know, in case one of their houses burns down or floods). All the rest can come later.

To end this off - my point is, you CAN do a digitization project. Focus on things unique to your library - there's no point in doing a US Census book, for example - like local history books, local censuses, photos of the area, etc. Start small and work your way up. There's no need to do all of your books and documents RIGHT NOW.

One society that I've belonged to in the past had a goal to do one book a week. By the end of the year, the entire library was digitized, and they discovered a new revenue stream as other people (including myself) could buy copies of books we liked and have them emailed to us.

It IS doable. People just need to make that leap between making the excuse (aka the comfortable way) and doing it (aka going into the unknown).

Much Less Frilly Moccasins - Additional Explanation

If you're looking for the original pattern, it can now be found on Ravelry!

I've sent this to a few people on Ravelry, so I thought it might deserve some follow up attention because I think it might be confusing people, and I've slightly altered how I do them to make them more secure on the sides.

Most people do simple slippers as rectangles. Fold and Sew. I've found I don't like that style, as it leaves a weird elf-like quality to the slippers. So I do mine differently - a circle and a rectangle put together, like this:

The problem is that I think people are viewing it is a flat circle, when its not. Its in the round, like a cup. So you are always joining, they doing the chains.



The circle is at the front of the slipper, and the rectangle is at the bottom, like this:



If you can imagine it, you look at the circle in front of you and the rectangle flows behind.

Hopefully it makes sense that the circle looks like a cup when done correctly. A flat circle will have to be folded to make the shape.

So the instruction which I need to update is that at the end, I now take my sewing needle and sew a couple of the hdcs up each side of the circle giving it more definition.

Look for next month I'll do some step by step photos - this really is easy!