Smocking

Beaker Button, the new yarn shop which has opened up at Weyhill Fair near Andover had a box of old patterns for sale when I visited, the proceeds going to charity.  Apparently there had been some real treasures in there, but I was a bit late to get those.  I did get this wonderful little book on smocking which I have never seen before.  Late '40s maybe.  Certainly in a period of austerity as all pictures are black and white and if there had been a choice publishers and readers would certainly have wanted them in colour.

I have books on smocking which also cover Dorset buttons and I suppose there is some link between the crafts.  There are some wonderfully intricate patterns in this little pamphlet and I have often thought it would be fun to translate smocking patterns into knit, either by creating fairisle patterns from them, or by knitting a diaper pattern and embroidering it.  In fact I have a WIP which will do just that very thing if ever I can finish it.