Episode 116: The Thing About Mrs. Bates's Knitting with guest Eleanor Gilchrist

Mrs. Bates may be sitting quietly in the corner, but her hands are always busy. This episode we are joined by knitting and crochet historian Eleanor Gilchrist to discuss the details of Mrs. Bates’s knitting. We also take a look at Mrs. Smith’s relationship to knitting in Persuasion.

If you have ever needed tips on how to best show off your elegant hands and neck, this episode is for you.

Thank you so much to Eleanor for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Instagram @stitchesandseeds.

Eleanor’s Recommended Reading

These books were recommended by Eleanor as a great place to start for anyone interested in the history of knitting:

• A History of Hand Knitting by Richard Rutt

• Knitting: Fashion, Industry, Craft by Sandy Black

• This Golden Fleece: A Journey Through Britain’s Knitted History by Esther Rutter

Eleanor also mentioned some historical knitting patterns that are available to view online:

• The practical companion to the work-table : containing directions for knitting, netting & crochet work : Jackson, Elizabeth : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive (p 63)

• The Lady’s Assistant for executing useful and fancy designs in knitting, netting, and crochet work : illustrated by fifteen engravings, showing various stitches in the art of netting : Gaugain, Jane : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive (p 21-22)

• Selections of knitting, netting, & crochet work : Watts, Miss : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive (p 54)

Supplementals

Some examples of purses from the 2020 Emma, as mentioned by Eleanor

“As soon as I could use my hands she taught me to knit, which has been a great amusement; and she put me in the way of making these little thread-cases, pin-cushions and card-racks…”

Mrs. Smith’s Knit Items

• Example of a knit pin cushion from the V&A

• Example of a card rack (not knit) from the National Trust