Weldon's Practical Needlework was a British compendium of patterns and tips for knitting, crochet, embroidery and other needle crafts that was published from 1886 through the 1920s. Several issues of the magazine through the years were devoted to socks and stockings, so there are many patterns for socks available from this vintage resource.
The problem for knitters who would like to knit these classic sock patterns is that the patterns are often more descriptive than they are instructive, they provide little in the way of helping the modern knitter decide what sort of yarn was used for a project (and say nothing of gauge) and the socks were often knit on tiny needles -- what today would be called 0000 or even 00000!
Updating the Classic
Nancy Bush aims to help knitters who want to experience these vintage patterns without the strain of translating them to modern materials and techniques through her book Knitting Vintage Socks: New Twists on Classic Patterns.
The book offers knitters 20 patterns for socks originally published in Weldon's between 1887 and 1914, a treasure for knitters who enjoy vintage or historical patterns but also like the ease of modern knitting patterns.
To place the patterns in a historical context, the book opens with a history of Weldon's and how society changed during the time the magazine was being published. Bush also provides a section on how she updated the techniques from the magazine to suit modern knitters, as well as places where the advice given in the original patterns is still useful (such as ways to work stripes and other color knitting techniques).
A timeline at the bottom of the pattern pages places the socks in the era when they were first published so, for instance, you can see that you're knitting a sock that was developed, say, before aspirin was invented.
She explores the different ways the original patterns used to shape heels and toes and provides general instructions for techniques like the horseshoe heel, the Welsh heel, the French toe and the flat toe, among others.
Four simple ribbed sock patterns show the variations of ribbing that were used to decorative effect in the patterns, as well as getting knitters comfortable with different heel and toe construction.
The Patterns
The 20 patterns in the main part of the book range from simple ribbing and Stockinette socks to socks incorporating lace, textured stitch patterns, colored cuffs and other fun techniques. Seven of the patterns are for men, 11 for women and two for children around the 3 to 5 range.
Six of the patterns that are now sized for women were originally children's patterns in Weldon's. While women's socks are certainly more popular than those for children, it might have been interesting to see some of the patterns in the size they were originally intended.
Though these patterns don't use the super-tiny yarn and needles that the originals called for, there are still some patterns that use really small (down to 00) needles, so any of these projects will be a bigger time commitment than a modern pattern knit on size 2 or 3 US knitting needles. That doesn't mean knitters won't be richly rewarded both by knitting a piece of history and by the socks themselves, it's just something to be aware of before you set out to knit a project from this book.
That said, some of my favorite patterns include the simple textured Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch, which features a striped heel and toe; the women's Bed Sock in Lemon Pattern Fancy Knit Stripe, with a stitch pattern that covers the whole sock, even the bottom of the foot; the upsized Fancy silk Sock for a Child of 5 or 6 Years, whose lovely textured purl pattern works nicely even in a non-silk yarn; the Gentleman's Fancy Sock with a sort of offset rib pattern; one of the kids' patterns that is still small-sized, the Infant's Fancy Silk Sock; and the super-long and plain Ladies Useful Stockings, the perfect thing to keep warm under a skirt in the winter.
Bottom Line
Knitting Vintage Socks is a fun look back in time to earlier days when knitting was more of a necessity to keep warm than it is today. These socks show that utility can still be beautiful and that just because you need a sock to be warm doesn't mean it can't also be fancy.
Even knitters who aren't all that interested in the history of the craft will enjoy these patterns for useful, pretty socks that are just as at home in a modern setting as they would have been in the drawing rooms of 19th century Britain.
Publication date: September 2005
Note: The Weldon's Practical Knitter series is available in electronic form from Interweave Press. Some of the original Weldon's Practical Needlework series are also available in hardcover facsimile editions.
