At many knitting shows in Yorkshire my favourite stall is the Judith Mansfield books stall. Judith sells vintage and antique craft books and various vintage craft items. With my love of heritage, it is always a delight to browse her stall. Last year at Yarndale I scored a cooy of Therese de Dillmont’s encyclopaedia of needlework, as well as a vintage tin of pins and a few other bits and bobs.
So I was delighted when I found yesterday that Judith had a stall at the Leeds Wool Festival, and this time I struck gold there. I could not believe my eyes when they alighted upon a copy of ‘My Knitting Book by Miss Lambert, Second Series’. This book from 1847 was one of the earliest knitting books ever written, contemporary with Jane Gaugain, Miss Watts, and Cornelia Mee’s books. What a treasure! Of course, it came home with me, along with a much later (1878!) copy of the ‘Stocking Knitter’s Manual’ and a first edition (!) of ‘The Old Hand-knitters Of The Dales’! I’m looking forward to some wonderful leisure reading this week, and perhaps a little swatching…
