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Winter Head-Dress (1850): vintage crochet pattern
A small striped cap of shaded scarlet and white Berlin wool in open double crochet, with chain-loop borders, threaded with scarlet ribbon and finished with a ribbon rosette. Originally published as "Winter Head-Dress" in The Lady's Album of Fancy Work for 1850 by Not printed (the Address names only “the Publishers of the Lady's Album of Fancy-Work”) in.
By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Updated · Editorial policy · pattern testing in progress
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Skill level | Intermediate |
| Yarn weight | Super fine (#1) |
| Yardage | As printed: ½ oz (14 g) shaded scarlet and 6 skeins white (no yardage printed). |
| Hook | 3 mm |
| Gauge | Not printed. The foundation chain measures 18 in (46 cm). |
| Finished size | Foundation chain 18 in (46 cm); 9 rows deep before the borders. |
| Time | about 4 hours |
Materials
- Fingering-weight (CYC #1) soft wool, approximating four-thread Berlin wool: ½ oz (14 g) shaded (ombré) scarlet and 6 skeins white (skein size not printed)
- Scarlet ribbon for casings, loops and a rosette
- Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
- Hook: Start with 3 mm (between US C-2 and D-3) and adjust to suit your yarn; the book names Penelope crochet No. 2, and no gauge is printed.
Yarn Kit & Substitution Options
This pattern calls for 350 yards of weight #1 yarn. Select a suggested yarn to see required skeins and estimated cost:
Knit Picks Stroll Sock · 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon
231 yds per skein · Durable stitch definition, machine washable
2 skeins required
approx. $$13.98 total
Abbreviations (US terms)
- chain
- double crochet
- stitch
- stitches
- row
- repeat
- skip
- loop
Notes before you start
- Source: "Winter Head-Dress", The Lady's Album of Fancy Work for 1850, Not printed (the Address names only “the Publishers of the Lady's Album of Fancy-Work”), 1850. Public domain in the USA.
- As printed — materials: Half-an-ounce of shaded scarlet Berlin wool, and six skeins of white wool; Penelope crochet No. 2.. Gauge: Not given.
- Modernisation note: Stitch names converted to modern US terms strictly by the book's own “Explanation of the Various Terms used in Crochet”, not by modern UK usage: “double crochet” / “close double crochet” / “d c” = sc; “single crochet” / “single” / “s c” = sl st; “long stitch” / “long” / “l s” = dc; “double long stitch” / “d l s” = tr; “treble long stitch” / “t l s” = dtr; “chain” / “c s” = ch; “single open crochet” = dc, ch 1, sk 1; “chain-stitch open crochet” = ch loops (5 or another odd number) joined into every 3rd st, then into the centre of each loop below; “three chain crochet” = the same with ch-3 loops; “miss” = sk; “unite” = join (the joining stitch is not named). Note that the book's “double crochet” is a modern sc and its “single crochet” a modern sl st.
- Modernisation note: Check: the ch-7 loops are joined by the undefined “plain stitch” of chain-stitch open crochet; sc is suggested.
- Modernisation note: Period wording modernised: “needle” / “tambour-needle” written as “hook”; “commence” as “begin”; “cotton” / “thread” as “thread”; “receipt” as “directions”. Round and row numbers are kept as printed.
- Modernisation note: Printed paragraphs split into one step per row, round or instruction; no stitches, counts or rows added, removed or reordered. Words in square brackets or marked “Check:” are ours.
- Modernisation note: Berlin wool was a fine, soft worsted-spun wool. Four-thread Berlin wool is approximated as fingering weight (CYC #1), eight-thread or “double” Berlin wool as sport to DK weight (CYC #2–3). “Shaded” wool changes gradually from light to dark along the strand (modern ombré or self-striping yarn). Where the thread count is not printed, four-thread is assumed. Check: approximate.
- Modernisation note: The book names Penelope crochet hooks by number (No. 1 thickest used here, No. 4 finest). Penelope numbers have no exact modern equivalent; the modern hook is an approximate starting point. No gauge is printed.
- Modernisation note: Metric conversions added.
- Modernisation note: Check: the stitch for the scarlet rows is not restated; it is read as continuing single open crochet, which the ribbon casings need.
- Modernisation note: Check: “work in chains of 7” is read as chain-stitch open crochet with ch-7 loops. It is not clear which edge is “the back” and which “the sides”.
- Modernisation note: Check: “the stitches above the third row of white” — there are only three white rows (Rows 1, 4 and 7), so this is read as Row 7.
Row progress: 0 of 3 done (0%)
Stitches
0 of 3 done- Long stitch (book's definition): “Twist the cotton round the needle, pass it through the loop, draw the cotton through the first two loops on the needle, then catch the cotton again and draw it through the next two loops; there will be one loop left on the needle.” = double crochet (dc).Mark row complete
- Single open crochet (book's definition): “a succession of long stitches, with a chain-stitch between each, missing one stitch of the foundation; in the succeeding rows the long stitch is worked between the two long stitches of the preceding rows.” = *1 dc, ch 1, sk 1; rep from *; on following rows each dc goes into the ch-1 space between the dc below.Mark row complete
- Chain-stitch open crochet (book's definition): “This consists of five or any uneven number of loops attached by a plain stitch to every third stitch of the foundation, and in the succeeding rows to the centre loop of the chain of previous row.” = *ch 5 (or the odd number given), sc in the 3rd st of the foundation; rep from *; on following rows the sc goes into the centre ch of each chain loop below (a chain-loop net). The joining “plain stitch” is not defined — see the Check note on “plain”.Mark row complete
Working on:
Long stitch (book's definition): “Twist the cotton round the needle, pass it through the loop, draw the cotton through the first two loops on the needle, then catch the cotton again and draw it through the next two loops; there will be one loop left on the needle.” = double crochet (dc).
Continue this pattern
The rest of the Winter Head-Dress (1850) pattern is in the Vintage Crochet Hats, Bags & Accessories
Still to come in the full pattern:
- Cap
- Borders
- Finishing
Included with 202 patterns for $12 — $0.06 per pattern.
Errata
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Frequently asked questions
Where is the Winter Head-Dress pattern from?
It was published as "Winter Head-Dress" in The Lady's Album of Fancy Work for 1850 by Not printed (the Address names only “the Publishers of the Lady's Album of Fancy-Work”) in 1850. The publication is in the public domain in the United States; this version is transcribed and modernised by crochetpatterns.io.
What yarn or thread do I need for the Winter Head-Dress?
super fine (#1) yarn. As printed: ½ oz (14 g) shaded scarlet and 6 skeins white (no yardage printed).
What hook should I use?
Start with 3 mm (between US C-2 and D-3) and adjust to suit your yarn; the book names Penelope crochet No. 2, and no gauge is printed. Gauge: Not printed. The foundation chain measures 18 in (46 cm).
