Little knitted samples

I bought these little samples a couple of years back from e-bay; there are seven (plus tow crochet ones), each has typed instrutcions and a little knitted sample very neatly handsewn underneath to illustrate the stitch. Some are stamped "registered at stationers' hall", and some have a little sticker on saying 6 1/2 (could be a price, maybe, sixpence ha'penny?. Strangely, the titles of the samples are Spanish words - ovalado, angelica, malvina, campanillas, hoja, cuadritos, adela. They're lovely things to have, and I'm using them as part of our sample knit-along on Creative Living forum.

Difficult to date accurately - the seller on e-bay didn't know much about them - but I reckon 1950s or 60s.

I'd love to know more about them - who made them and why, but in teh end it's enough that I have them to save for future knitters.

Replica Gunnister purse

I've been wanting to have a go at this one for a long time, and finally started it last night. As you see, it's now finished, so I enjoyed knitting up that one! I'm pleased with this, although it has turned out bigger than the original; I need to acquire/spin some thinner wool and get thinner needles and have another go.

Pattern I used is here:

http://www.islandofmisfitpatterns.com/2007/11/26/gunnister-purse-replica/

The Gunnister burial goods were excavated in 1951 at Gunnister on Sheltand. The coins in the purse were Dutch and Swedish, suggesting that trade was taking place at that time. Other goods uncovered were gloves, two caps, stockings and a fragment of knitting.

A good section on this in Richard Rutt's A History of Handknitting.

Off to research the Gunnister caps now!

Monmouth cap

Although I've always been interested in old knitting and everything associated with it, this was the first actual piece I'd knitted as a replica, towards the back end of last year. I found the pattern in an old issue of Spin Off magazine, and couldn't resist having a go. I knitted two in this wool, as I enoyed the pattern so much. It's a handspun (but not by me) Jacob wool, soft and very nice to knit with. I then did a thrid, but spun my own wool from some Jacob fleece I was given a while ago. This third hat was given to OH for Christmas, and he was thrilled to bits with it.

If you look closely, you'll see a small button on the crown- this is for buttoning inside your helmet. A hanging loop is worked on to the brim, for hanging the hat when not being worn.

More info here:

http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/small/item/GTJ01788/