Free preview · full pattern in the Vintage Crochet Hats, Bags & Accessories
Spiral Crochet Purse (1847): vintage crochet pattern
A Victorian purse in reel silk worked in a spiral net: short chain-3 loops joined along the foundation with groups of plain stitches, each row set one stitch in advance of the last so the pattern spirals. Originally published as "Spiral Crochet Purse" in My Crochet Sampler (Miss Lambert) by D. M. Peyser in 1847, it is now.
By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Updated · Editorial policy · pattern testing in progress
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Skill level | Intermediate |
| Yarn weight | Lace (#0) |
| Yardage | Not printed. (as printed; yardage not given) |
| Hook | 1 mm |
| Gauge | Not printed. Work to the size of the article; the book sizes by counted stitches or measurement. |
| Finished size | Not printed (170-ch foundation). |
| Time | about 3 hours |
Materials
- Very fine silk thread (about size 40 crochet thread or finer), approximating reel silk
- Optional metallic gold thread and shaded silks (the book's variation)
- Tapestry needle for weaving in (“running”) the ends
- Hook: Start with a 1 mm (US steel 12) hook and adjust to suit your thread; no hook size or gauge is printed.
Yarn Kit & Substitution Options
This pattern calls for 350 yards of weight #0 yarn. Select a suggested yarn to see required skeins and estimated cost:
Caron Simply Soft · 100% Acrylic
315 yds per skein · High-yield yardage, silky no-scratch texture
2 skeins required
approx. $$10.98 total
Abbreviations (US terms)
- chain
- single crochet
- stitch
- stitches
- row
- repeat
- skip
Notes before you start
- Source: "Spiral Crochet Purse", My Crochet Sampler (Miss Lambert), D. M. Peyser, 1847. Public domain in the USA.
- As printed — materials: reel silk. Gauge: Not given.
- Modernisation note: Victorian stitch names converted to modern US terms strictly by the book's own definitions (pp. 15–21, 57), not by modern UK equivalents: “plain double crochet”, “plain crochet”, “plain stitch” and “plain stitch double crochet” = sc; “plain single crochet” = sl st; “chain” = ch; “open crochet” = dc with ch 1 over a skipped st; the “double stitches” / “long stitches” of open crochet = dc; “double open crochet” = pairs of dc with an open space; “treble open crochet” = groups of 3 dc alternating with open spaces; “plain stitch open crochet” = ch-5 loops joined by sc to the centre of the loops below; “dividing”, “seam” or “raised” stitch = 2 sc in one st under both loops, stacked; “treble increased stitch” = 3 sc in one st; “double stitch crochet” = sc under both loops; “raised” or “ribbed” crochet and “plain stitch elastic crochet” = sc in back loop only, turning each row; “to increase” = 2 sc in one st; “to decrease” = sc2tog or sk 1; “to make a stitch” = ch 1 at each end of the row; “fasten off” = draw the yarn through the last st; “fasten on” = lay the new end along the work and crochet over both; “run the ends” = weave in ends. Note that the book's “double crochet” is a modern sc, and its “treble” never means a modern tr.
- Modernisation note: Period wording modernised: “needle” / “crochet needle” written as “hook”; “commence” as “begin”; “unite the ends” / “join both ends together” as “join into a ring” (the book does not name the joining stitch); “a chain and first row” as “ch, then Row 1”; “cheques” as “checks”. The book says “row” even when working round and round; “row” is kept as printed.
- Modernisation note: Printed paragraphs split into one step per row or instruction; no colours, counts or rows added, removed or reordered. Colour-sequence rows are written as “Row 4 (sc): 1 light green, 1 black, 5 red brown …”, meaning that many sc in each colour, in order.
- Modernisation note: Period silks have no exact modern equivalent. The book's hints (p. 22) rank them: crochet silk is “the coarsest” and best for bags; second-sized netting silk is “prettiest for purses”; fine netting silk and reel silk are finer. The modern silk or crochet-thread sizes given are approximations.
- Modernisation note: “Gold”, “gold cord”, “gold thread” and “gold passing” were metallic threads; use a modern metallic thread or cord of about the same thickness as the silk or wool.
- Modernisation note: No hook (needle) size and no gauge is printed — the book names only “steel” or “ivory” needles. The modern starting hook is an approximate suggestion only.
- Modernisation note: No yardage is printed and none is estimated.
- Modernisation note: Check: “pass the third stitch … through the fourth stitch of the chain, and work three plain stitches” is kept close to the printed wording. It is not stated whether the 3 sc go into the next 3 foundation ch, or how the 4th st is counted for the second and later loops.
- Modernisation note: Check: “reel silk” was a fine sewing silk on a reel; the modern equivalent is approximate.
Row progress: 0 of 2 done (0%)
Stitches
0 of 2 done- Stitch (book's definition): “Plain double crochet,—where two loops are kept on the needle, and the wool drawn through both before the stitch is finished” = single crochet (sc). The book adds that “unless any other stitch be mentioned, the plain, or double crochet stitch, is always to be employed”, so every stitch in these directions is sc unless another stitch is named. A “plain row” is a row of sc in one colour.Mark row complete
- Stitch (book's definition, “Plain stitch open crochet”): “composed of chains, of five stitches each in length, forming loops, each fifth stitch being crocheted to the centre stitch of the corresponding loop in the preceding row” = *ch 5, sc in the centre ch of the next ch-5 loop of the previous row; rep from * (a ch-loop net, engraving No. 1). Check: the book counts the joining stitch as the fifth stitch of the chain, so each loop may be read as ch 4 + 1 sc.Mark row complete
Working on:
Stitch (book's definition): “Plain double crochet,—where two loops are kept on the needle, and the wool drawn through both before the stitch is finished” = single crochet (sc). The book adds that “unless any other stitch be mentioned, the plain, or double crochet stitch, is always to be employed”, so every stitch in these directions is sc unless another stitch is named. A “plain row” is a row of sc in one colour.
Continue this pattern
The rest of the Spiral Crochet Purse (1847) pattern is in the Vintage Crochet Hats, Bags & Accessories
Still to come in the full pattern:
- Purse
- Variations
- Finishing
Included with 202 patterns for $12 — $0.06 per pattern.
Errata
No corrections have been published for this pattern. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will log the fix here with a date.
Your notes on this pattern
Keep track of the yarn, hook and changes you used. Saved in this browser only — nobody else can see it.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Spiral Crochet Purse pattern from?
It was published as "Spiral Crochet Purse" in My Crochet Sampler (Miss Lambert) by D. M. Peyser in 1847. 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 Spiral Crochet Purse?
Very fine silk thread comparable to size 40 crochet thread (period: reel silk). Not printed.
What hook should I use?
Start with a 1 mm (US steel 12) hook and adjust to suit your thread; no hook size or gauge is printed. Gauge: Not printed. Work to the size of the article; the book sizes by counted stitches or measurement.
