Knitted Bodice, 1870

Knitted Bodice without Sleeves.
Beeton's Book of Needlework by Isabella Beeton, 1870

Materials: 4 ounces black, 3-1/2 ounces purple fleecy; black silk elastic; a steel buckle; 9 black bone buttons. Pattern gives no needle size or stitch gauge.

This bodice is knitted in brioche stitch with black and purple wool, so that the raised ribs appear black on one side and purple on the other. The bodice fits quite close. It is fastened in front with black bone buttons and a steel buckle. Two strips of silk elastic are knitted in at the bottom. Begin at the bottom of the bodice with black wool, and cast on 170 stitches. The needles must be rather fine, and the knitting not too loose. Work backwards and forwards 24 rows as follows:--Slip the 1st stitch, alternately throw the wool forward, slip 1 as if you were going to purl it, and knit 1. In the next row knit together the stitch which has been slipped and the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward, slip the knitted stitch, after having thrown the wool forward. In the 25th row take the purple wool and work 1 row as before.

Now work alternately 1 row with black wool and 1 row with purple, but as the wool is not cut off, the brioche stitch must be alternately knitted and purled. Work always 2 rows on the same side from right to left. The following 26th row is worked with black wool in common brioche stitch, only the slipped stitch of the preceding row is purled together with the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward. 27th row: Turn the work, with purple wool purled brioche stitch. 28th row: On the same side with black wool knitted brioche stitch. After having worked 40 rows all in the same manner, begin the front gore. Divide the stitches upon three needles, 82 stitches on one needle for the back, and 44 stitches for each front part on the two other needles. Then work the first 11 stitches of the left front part (this row must be worked on that side of the work upon which the ribs appear purple) in knitted brioche stitch; the 11th stitch must have a slipped stitch, with the wool thrown forward, therefore it is a purple rib. After this stitch begin the gore with the following 13 stitches. The ribs are then worked so that a purple one comes over a black one, and a black one over a purple one. Do not work upon the following black stitch; knit the following stitch with the one formed by throwing the wool forward. Throw the wool forward, and then only slip the black stitch which had been left, so that it comes behind the stitch which has just been knitted. This crossing of the stitch is repeated once more, then knit the following stitch together with the one formed by throwing the wool forward, throw the wool forward, slip the crossed black stitch and the two following single black stitches. The slipped stitch and the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward before the 3rd single black stitch are then knitted together, so that the crossed stitches are placed in opposite directions. The three black stitches which are knitted off together as 1 stitch in the next row form the middle line of the front gore, and are continued in a straight line to the point of the gore. The crossing takes place twice in this row, but now the black stitch is slipped first. After the 24th stitch knit together the following stitch with the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward. Then continue to work in common brioche stitch to the other front part, where the gore begins before the 24th stitch from the end. In the next row, which is worked in purled brioche stitch with black wool, take up the black loop between two purple ribs after the 11th stitch; purl it so as to form the stitch which is missing at that place. The 3 slipped stitches in the preceding row are purled together as one stitch with the stitch formed by throwing the wool forward between the ribs. The loop is also taken up on the other side of the front gore in the same manner, as well as on the other front part. Then work 6 rows without increasing or decreasing. The crossing of the stitch is repeated after every 7 rows, always on the knitted brioche stitch side, with purple wool. In the 18th row of the gore the 3 middle stitches are not knitted together, but separately, so that the pattern must be decreased in 26 rows. In the back 30 stitches only must be decreased, two in every 6th row. After the 60th row another decreasing takes place on the outer edges of the front parts for the neck; they decrease 2 stitches (1st rib) after the 5th stitch from the front edge in every 3rd row. The 5 stitches which close to the neck are cast off together with the 5 stitches on the shoulders. Then cast off loosely the stitches of the back; take all the selvedge stitches of the front on the needles, and knit 24 rows of brioche stitch with black wool, making 9 button-holes on the right front part. On the wrong side of this part sew on a strip of black silk, with slits worked round in button-hole stitch, stitching at the same time into the knitting. The following scallops are knitted round the top of the jacket and round the armholes with black wool:--Take the selvedge stitches on the needles, work 4 rows alternately, 1 stitch knitted, 1 stitch purled, thread the wool into a Berlin wool-work needle, * cast off 3 stitches together, draw the wool through the needle, and take the 2 following stitches on the wool in the worsted-needle; repeat from *. Sew on the buttons the strips of silk elastic on either side of the black stripe at the bottom, and fasten the ends of the latter with the steel buckle.