La Femme et La Guerre – Passe-Montange Au Tricot no3

With this pattern, we debut our first French knitting pattern. It hails from the magazine La Femme et La Guerre, published at the start of the war by publishing house François Tedesco. This publishing house continued to publish children’s magazines and knitting books well into the 50’s

I would usually give a bit more historical context to this, but for now, I wish to share a translated excerpt from a French newspaper called ‘L’Echo des tranchees’, publishes May 19th, 1915:

‘The knitting needles slowed down, then stopped their movement. We told you from the autumn onwards with what passionate application, throughout France, in the countryside, in small towns, in Paris, in living rooms, in ambulances, in the Metro, in the theatre, and, God forgive me, in sermons (yes, of course, he forgives it!), women, with clumsiness or virtuosity, but with equal zeal, undertook to discipline the wool.

For torsos shivering in the downpour, for faces chapped by the squall, for noses turned blue, for feet petrified by frozen mud, for knees torn apart by long crawls across dear French soil, so harsh when one must embrace it, for heroic hands clenching around the cold, heavy rifle… first there were piles, then mounds, then mountains, then mountain ranges of socks, gloves, sweaters, scarves, knee pads. You received them all, tried them out, wore them out.’

Source: https://www.lefigaro.fr/histoire/centenaire-14-18/2014/08/27/26002-20140827ARTFIG00088-tricoter-pour-les-soldats-1915.php

I hope this was as inspiring to you as it was to me

Passe-montange au tricot no3

Abbreviations and terms:

• K1; Knit one
• P1: Purl one
• Knitting plain: knit stitch/garter
• K2tog; Knitting two stitches together

Materials : 

• 4.5mm or US7 needles
• Approx. 100g of DK weight yarn. No colour is given but considering: grey, khaki or dark blue is preferred.
• A tapestry needle
• Stitch savers, scrap yarn or extra needles to save live stitches

Instructions:

Setting up – Cast on 68 stitches

For the next 40 rows, knit ribbing in knit 2, purl 2.

Row 41: Purl. 

Row 42: *Knit 17 stitches, add 1 stitch*, repeat ** a total of 4 times

Row 43: Purl

Row 44: *Knit 18 stitches, add 1 stitch*, repeat ** a total of 4 times

You will have a total of 78 stitches now

Knit 5 rows in stockinette

Cast off the first 14 stitches, these will serve as the opening for the face. 

Knit 2 more rows on the remaining 64 stitches.

On the next row: K20, inc1, k24, inc1, k20

Ear openings – Knit 16 rows on the first 12 stitches. Put these on scrap yarn, an extra needle or a stitch saver and break off the yarn

On the next 42 stitches, knit 16 rows. This will form the back of the head. Put on scrap yarn, needle or saver and break off yarn.

On the remaining 12 stitches, knit 16 rows.

Pick up all your stitches and work 5 more rows across these.

Crown – Cast on 16 stitches to make the top of the head making a total of 82 stitches.

Knit 10 rows

We will decrease as follows:

Row 1: *K8, k2tog,* repeat ** until end of row

Row 2: purl. All even rows will be purled

Row 3: *K7, k2tog*, repeat ** until end of row

Row 5: *K6, k2tog*, repeat ** until end of row

Row 7: *K5, k2tog*, repeat ** until end of row

Row 9: *K4, k2tog*, repeat ** until end of row

Row 12: *K3, k2tog*, repeat ** until end of row

Row 15: *K2, k2tog*, repeat ** until end of row

Row 17: k2tog all the way around.

Break off yarn and with a tapestry needle, draw through and fasten.

Seam the front and back together, weave in the ends.