Long Purse from The Lady’s Assistant

This pattern, knit in red, navy and gold, is A Very Pretty Turkish Purse from The Lady’s Assistant for Executing Useful and Fancy Designs in Knitting, Netting and Crochet by Mrs. Jane Gaugain, To be had at I.J. Gaugain', Foreign and British Depot of Berlin Patterns and Materials for Ladies' Fancy Works, 1840.

The pattern calls for “six broad coloured stripes,” in this case suggesting crimson, green and white “purse twist, a size finer than common twist.” I do not have silk twist and, since I am trying to use up my stash, I am using DMC Coton Perle 8 in my collection’s available colours.  The needles are  “two wires of No. 18,” the modern equivalent being 1.25 mm/US 0000.

At same time, I am also working on an adapted version from Wicked Woolens.* This purse is knit with larger needles and thicker thread or fine wool and fewer stitches on 2 mm/US O needles.  For this one, I have chosen DMC Cébélia 10 cotton in green, pink and white – another stash buster decision.

Both are easy to knit and make good lunchtime projects at work when there is a lot of distraction about, and the tin is a safe and useful way to transport both purses with their delicate needles and multiple cotton yarns. 

*http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/two-victorian-purses