Sugar-Plum Stitch

Exercises in Knitting

by Cornelia MEE ( - )

Mrs. Mee, her husband, and her sister ran a yarn and needlework import/warehouse business in Bath, England. Her books primarily contain practical everyday items that knit up quickly with the busy homemaker in mind. At this time, published knitting "receipts" did not contain abbreviations and were laborious to use. They were, however, rich in error! Later in her career, due to circumstances of war and the resulting social stress and poverty, many of her knitting books were printed for ladies' charitable societies, which used her knitting "receipts" to clothe the poor mill workers who were out of work due to the American Civil War and the embargo of cotton. In addition to recording the original patterns, LibriVox knitters have also knitted samples of these patterns, displayed at the KnitWiki, and have attempted to condense and clarify the patterns for the enjoyment of modern day knitters. (Summary by Brenda Price)

Listen next episodes of Exercises in Knitting:
A Pretty Pattern for a Baby's Shoe , A Swiss Pattern for the Top of a Mitten or Muffatee , Another Pretty Pattern for a Knit Purse , Baby's Shoe and Stocking , Beautiful Pattern for a Scarf , Beautiful Pattern for a Shetland Shawl , Corkscrew Muffatees , Fan Pattern , Fan-Pattern Knitting for a Mitten , For a Brioche , For a Comforter , For a Knitted Bodice , For a Knitted Collar , For a Knitted Penwiper , For a Muff , For an Under Spencer , For Another Comforter , For Children's Gaiters , Gentlemen's Cuffs: an Excellent Pattern , Half Cap for Wearing under a Bonnet , Honeycomb Cuffs , Leaf Pattern for Half-Square Shawl , Netted Shawl , Open Diamond Pattern for the Centre of a Shawl , Oriental Mat, or Hookah Carpet , Pretty Feather-Pattern for the Border of a Shawl , Pretty Open Diamond Border , Pretty Open Pattern , Pretty Pattern for Basket Serviettes , Raised Knitting, a kind of Bell Pattern, for a Counterpane , Receipt for a Stocking , Shell Knitting for a Bag, in German Wool , Shell Pattern for a Baby's Cap , Twisted Knitting , Very elegant Knitted Pelisse , Very Pretty Vandyke Border