Volume XVIII    Number 2

F e a t u r e s / P r o j e c t s

14 Knitting for Survival: Anna Samens and Her

Knitting Machine b y E i l e e n W h e e l e r
As the Samens family prepared to flee the Soviet troops approaching their doorstep in Latvia
in 1944, Anna declared, “The knitting machine is my life; I will not take a step without it.”
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18 In Appreciation of Pot Holders by Susan Strawn
Susan Strawn offers examples from her collection of about 500 pot holders along with their history
and her thoughts on why so many have been saved.
21 Pot Holders to Knit by Susan Strawn
Step-by-step instructions for knitting two versions, each an adaptation of patterns from the 1890s.
23 The Very Best Afghans in the World by Robin Hansen
The author fondly recalls the afghans made by her great-grandmother on a Weave-It handheld loom.
26 A Weave-It Pillow or Chair Pad to Make by Robin Hansen
A small pillow or a chair pad is a good way to try out the techniques of making and assembling
Weave-It squares.
30 We Like Washday, Don’t We?: More Than Just a Slogan
42 by Marlene Blessing
Inez Amy Hovland Loop, the author’s mother, was a prolific needleworker; her embroidered apron
with a canvas inner pouch for clothespins is one example.
On the Cover
“The Very Best Afghans 32 Everyday Cloth by Linda Ligon
in the World,” page 23 Explore the textiles that Victorian and Edwardian women with the leisure to make things by hand
Photograph by Joe Coca thought necessary in their daily lives.
A Weave-It Afghan, page 26 36 Monograms to Crochet
Knitting for Survival, page 14 Nancy Nehring adapted instructions from “Crocheted Markings for Towels and Blankets,” which
Vintage Monograms, page 36 appeared in a 1935 issue of Home Arts—Needlecraft.
Embroider Hand Towels, page 42
Knit an Ear-of-Corn Pot Holder, 40 Grandma Twombly’s Back-of-the-Neck Scarf to Knit
page 22
by Virginia McGlynn
The designer has three back-of-the-neck scarves that her grandmother made; she shares the pattern
C o lu m n s / D e p a r t m e n t s for this cozy accessory.
  2 Notions 42 Hand Towels to Embroider by Jean Scorgie
Letter from the editor These graceful linen hand towels feature seventeenth-century motifs and stitches.
  5 By Post
Letters to the editor 44 Ladies’ Useful Stockings to Knit by Nancy Bush
Nancy Bush’s stockings, perfect for wear in reenactments, are worked with a Dutch Heel and a Flat Toe.
  6 Calendar
Upcoming events 47 The “Pin” Is Mightier than the Sword: Politics and
  8 Book Marks Needlework Magazines in the Early Twentieth Century
Books of interest by Mar y Dic kinson Bird
  9 Necessities Political messages were woven into the text of the needle-arts magazines in an American woman’s
Products of interest workbasket in the early twentieth century.
10 Tapestry
The new and noteworthy
12 Trimmings
A sampling of old O n li n e E xtr as
patterns: An edging to tat Visit pieceworkmagazine.com for free projects and articles,
and motifs to cross-stitch the PieceWork index, back issues, and much more.
55 Abbreviations
Definitions