My crocheting project: Crocheted Silk Purse Fig. 1

Florence Home Needlework, Crocheted Silk Purse Fig. 1

I got this PDF from antiquepatternlibrary.org. I am thankful towards the person who donated these scans. <3 p="">
I love crocheting vintage, antique and ancient patterns. This happens to be an antique pattern. Very Victorian/Edwardian. I plan to use this all the time, special occasion or no special occasion, victorian wear or no victorian wear.

The PDF: http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/pub/PDF/B-JA077Florence1887.pdf

The description says: 

Florence Home Needlework 1887

Florence, Mass., Nonotuck Silk Co, 1887, 96 pgs.

Pretty neat! Many of the antique patterns that are preserved historical documents are created in the northeast, specifically, my home state!

This is what is available in the booklet. This is only the image, not the complete pattern.

Anyway, here is what I have so far of this crocheted purse.

I am using a size 10 modern steel crochet hook, 1.3mm. Size 20 crochet thread (antique, JP Coats brand) with a strand of cotton sewing thread. Size 8 toho chartreuse transparent seed beads. 

Fun!

I have been working on it in the evenings and during my lunch breaks at work.

Sorry if the images are a  lil big when enlarged. I took them with my phone. I swear, I am so lazy in documenting my projects.. I'm trying to be better at posting records of what I"m doing! Its actually a marvel I've posted something. however, this is an antique pattern that isn't even on the ravelry database, so I'm thinking that I have to pioneer that effort...

Anyway, the slip of paper that was in that last photo looks to be one of those mailaway order forms, advertising more patterns and thread available from JP Coats. On one side, it says: "Doilies to Crochet! Only 10c a copy! Mail this coupon now" Hahahha. Finding anything that is 10c today is... hard. With old and antique mailers... I've always had a strong desire to mail in the coupon or order form and see if they honor it. xD

Anyway, sometime soon I will add a ravelry entry for this pattern/book and perhaps post the link here.

Edit: Here is the ravelry link: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/murasakinoryuu/crocheted-silk-purse-fig-1

Here are the mostly finished images of the crochet beaded purses. These are done with bead crochet, and thus are bead crochet purses.

-MNR

Japanese hook sizes - "steel"

I read a lot of japanese crochet patterns. Many of them are thread weight.

There is this beautiful bolero I would like to make into my size, it would be perfect for classic lolita or mori kei or even himegyaru.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/p21-lace-bolero
Its absolutely gorgeous but even in the book itself its very complicated, so I'm thinking about making this pattern instead. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/p23-bolero . Its slightly simpler.

I can read a little japanese: hirigana, katakana, and some kanji. MEEEH why would you use kanji in a pattern?? Then only those who are absolutely up to reading level in japanese can read it. The people who make these patterns are usually good about making diagrams. I plan on learning japanese more, but for now, diagrams will do. I guess.

Oftentimes these patterns are one size fits all. At least they are good about making them in a size that is highly adaptable, somewhere in between bust size 32 and bust size 38, a medium for a lot of people.

Japanese patterns use an "#/0" symbol for the size of their hooks and needles. US and UK use "size #" for their hook sizes in patterns. I keep forgetting the japanese to metric to US conversion for the needles. I think I'm going to make a chart in english. Or at least borrow one from the Rakuten site: http://www.rakuten.co.jp/gosyo/438728/672881/





Japanese steel hooks No.      2/0   3/0       4/0      5/0      6/0       7/0       8/0      10/0 　 　 　
Size in mm                         2mm 2.3mm 2.5mm 3.0mm 3.5mm 4.0mm 5.0mm 6.0mm 　 　 　
Japanese bamboo hooks No. 2         3           4          5          6           7          8          10       
Size in mm                         2.7m/m 3.0m/m 3.3m/m 3.6m/m 3.9m/m 4.2m/m 4.5m/m 5.1mm


I think hooks that don't have labels are just listed in mm size in the pattern.

If I got some info wrong, do comment and I will try to fix it.


-MNR