PieceWork

This year is the 250th anniversary of the birth of beloved British novelist Jane Austen (1775–1817). Throughout the past two centuries, countless readers have been charmed by Austen's books. One thing that makes her stories especially fascinating is that they provide a window into the role that textiles and needlework played in the everyday lives of people in early-nineteenth-century England, drawn from her authentic perspective as a stitcher and a knitter. We are thrilled to bring you a glimpse of Jane Austen's world: a unique time and place in history that allowed some women to ply their yarn, needles, and thread for reasons other than necessity. Turn these pages for Sophie Reynolds and Lizzie Dunford's peek at some of Austen's own projects from Chawton House in Bath, England. Even if…

Improve Your Stitching Game Looking for a creative way to learn embroidery? Check out The Essential Embroidery Stitches Card Deck by Betty Barnden, available from Search Press. The deck is composed of 50 cards with diagrams detailing the stitches and ways to use them. Work through them individually to improve your skills or pull one randomly to inject creativity into a new project. searchpressusa.com A Variety of Sizes Round out your crochet tools with this polished wooden set of hooks from Knitting Fever. This kit contains sizes E-4 through M-13, comes in a carrying case, and is available in four colorways (Driftwood shown here) to match your knitting needles or current project. knittingfever.com A Decorative Accessory Adorn your favorite knitted shawl with a beautiful pin from Jul Designs. The pins…

Clothing Goes to War Creativity Inspired by Scarcity in World War II Nan Turner Chicago: Intellect Books, 2022. Paperback, 256 pages, $40. ISBN 9781789383461. Fashion in the Time of Jane Austen Sarah Jane Downing New York: Bloomsbury, 2010. Paperback, 64 pages, $14. ISBN 9780747807674. RSN Stitch Bank 200 Essential Embroidery Stitches Royal School of Needlework Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK: Search Press, 2024. Hardcover, 336 pages, $40. ISBN 9781800922860. Shetland Fine Lace Knitting Recreating Patterns from the Past Carol Christiansen Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: The Crowood Press, 2024. Hardcover, 208 pages, $34. ISBN 9780719842870. The Ribbon Studio Inspiring Gifts and Craft Projects for Every Occasion Angela Liguori, Studio Carta New York: Abrams Books, 2024. Hardcover, 176 pages, $35. ISBN 9781419772887. Knit a Mini Woodland 20 Tiny Forest Creatures to Knit Sachiyo…

In a letter written during a stay in Bath dated June 2, 1799, 23-year-old Jane Austen wrote her sister, Cassandra, one of her typically newsy letters about visits made, conversations had, walks taken, letters received, and reflections on the business of getting, maintaining, and making clothes and accessories. The letter froths with information about a new cloak obtained after a three-year search, the gift of a purple-ribboned straw hat, gauzes on sale for only fourpence a yard—though “not so good or so pretty as mine,” and the latest trends in hat trimmings. According to Jane, flowers were “very much worn,” but fruit was “more the thing.” The topic of headwear is also dominant. In response to Cassandra's most recent letter, in which Jane learned that two friends had asked for…

Picture a Regency-Era drawing room, complete with roaring fire, genteel conversation, and tea in delicate china cups. On the settee, ladies like Emma Woodhouse or Elizabeth Bennet ply their needles as they trade gossip about their neighbors. As passionate knitters, we want to know exactly what kinds of projects are on those needles. As lovers of Jane Austen (1775–1817), we'd like to know if the beloved British author was a fellow yarn lover and, if so, what she knitted. STRAIGHT FROM THE AUTHOR'S PEN The best source for information about the role of knitting in Austen's life is her own work. Although her correspondences contain many references to fashion and stitching, her writings contain only a handful of references to knitting. We can confirm that Austen was, in fact, a…

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single hand in possession of good fingers must be in want of a lovely mitt. Step into the world of Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice with these charming fingerless mitts, adorned with cameos of the iconic Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. I was introduced to Jane Austen while taking an English degree at university, and I fell in love with her novels. No other writer has created such wonderful foil characters as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy: complex, clever, fallible, and relatable. My inspiration for these mitts stems from the characters' timeless romance and witty dialogue that Austen so masterfully crafted. So gather your needles and yarn, and embark on a knitting journey that pays homage to one of literature's most enduring…