Ye Pirate Brethren

I already posted this on the LCAR forum, and Yahoo's historic knitting group but it's not turning up much.... I'm just copying and pasting here...

I have only the pages from "Fashion in Detail" to go on for this jacket, but I am somewhat in love with "A Woman's jacket of hand knit cotton" on page 186-187. But there is little information on it. It provides little information on the time period, and a little speculation on it's use- perhaps an undergarment, or an informal jacket for after childbirth.

A quick "googling" turned up next to nothing. Does anyone else have any information on knit jackets in the late 17th, early 18th centuries?

The time is based on the use of two ply cotton yarn, indicating (at least) late 17th century.

It terms of construction, it was knit from the bottom up, as one piece, deviating for armhole shaping and neck shaping, but bound off together. The sleeves were picked up and worked to the cuff. The style of the jacket is the same as many sewn examples of informal jackets.

There is also the one before it in the book dated 1630? Which is knit in 5 pieces, sewn together, lined with sewn binding on the edges. But that is very unlike the following example where this knitting was treated like woven cloth, the one I am interested in (more) is treated like more like a sweater.

This is a link to a VERY similar jacket for a baby. A very similar knit design, and pattern to the adult version (but it is not the same jacket...) http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O108312/jacket/

I still can't find the adult jacket... It's not listed on their website.


:-/