My redaction of this historical pattern is ©1996 and 2001 by Kim Salazar. The photographs belong to Donna Hrynkiw, and are used
here by permission. Please see the copyright note
at the end of the pattern. This pattern was originally shared with the
KnitList - (a knitting-oriented mailing list).
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Introduction
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This insertion strip was originally published as "Linen Counterpane: Prize Article" in Barbour's Prize
Needle-Work Series: A Treatise on Lace-Making, Embrodiery and Needlework with Barbour's
Irish Flax Thread, Book No. 3 - 1894, Second Edition. Boston: The Barbour Brothers
Company, 1895.
This pattern was attributed to Miss M.S. Brown of 30 Mt. Pleasant Street, Woburn,
Massachusetts, and was a prize winner in an 1894 Barbour's contest for original designs. It was designed for use with
a companion edging. The counterpane was intended to
be formed from hemmed linen squares framed by a lattice-like arrangement of short lengths
of this insertion, with the whole thing trimmed in the deep flounce lace edging.
The instructions specified #19 steel needles and "Barbour's flax thread, 3-cord, 200-yards
spools" to make the spread. I haven't been able to figure out the quantity or thread size from that description.
(Kate Armfield suggested "...3 cord would be a nice rounded thread whatever the actual size...I have knitted with a Belgian
linen lace thread described as size 16 or maybe 24 which might do for your lace...")
The sample pictured here and in the thumbnail on the index page was knit and photographed by Donna M. Hrynkiw,
an avid lace knitter and all-around nifty person, who has been active in the on-line knitting community since the Internet crawled
up on land from the primordial seas.
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Original Instructions
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Knit across plain
1. K3, o, n, k3, o, k1, o, n, k3, o, n, k1
2. K3, o, n, n, o, k3, o, n, k3, o n, k1
3. K3, o, n, n, o, k5, o, n, k1, o, n, k1
4. K3, o, n, o, n, k3, n, o, n, k1, o, n, k1
5. K3, o, n, k1, o, n, k1, n, o, k3, o, n, k1
6. K3, o, n, k2, o, n, sl and b, o, k4, o, n, k1
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Notes
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I tried the n, sl and b double decrease as described in row 6 of the original
(k2tog, slip one stitch as if to knit, then pass the previous loop - formed by
the K2tog - over the slipped loop). It leaves a large thrown thread on the
back that mars the symmetry of the central diamond. Although the original
engraving accompanying the instructions seems to show this loop, I preferred the look of
a sssk decrease instead.
These abbreviations and symbols are used in this pattern.
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| YO |
Yarn over - Make an eyelet increase by laying the yarn on top of the needle.
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| K2tog |
Knit two together - Knit the next two stitches together
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| SSSK |
Slip, slip, slip, knit - Make a two-stitch decrease that slants to the left by slipping the next stitch purlwise, and the
the next stitch knitwise, and the stitch after that knitwise. Return all three stitches to the other needle, then knit them together
through the back of the loop.
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Directions
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Cast on 17 stitches
Row 1: [wrong side] Knit
Row 2: K3, yo, K2tog, K3, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k3, yo, k2tog, k1 [18 stitches]
Row 3: K3, yo, (k2tog) twice, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k3, yo, k2tog, k1
Row 4: K3, yo, (k2tog) twice, yo, k5, yo, k2tog, k1, yo, k2tog, k1
Row 5: K3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k3, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1, yo, k2tog, k1
Row 6: K3, yo, k2tog, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k1
Row 7: K3, yo, k2tog, k2, yo, sssk, yo, k4, yo, k2tog, k1
Repeat rows 2-7
Note that this pattern (and the matching flounce edging) may be made
wider by doing the center repeat more than twice. For each additional
iteration of the center repeat, add 8 stitches to the number cast on.
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