Category: museum reproduction

The Huron Wristers: a story of connections part 2

Continued from The Huron Wristers: a story of connections part 1

Was there a family tie to either Estonia or the British Isles? The answer would help to identify the glove pattern perhaps. When an instagram post by Best Dishes, a Goderich business owned by Sarah Anderson, appeared in my feed one day identifying the wristers pattern as based on a family heirloom, chance had dropped the perfect opportunity. It was time to connect. A couple messages back and forth and the story unfolded…

History of the Wheeler Family

  • Herb Wheeler's Carpentry Shop, Herb standing in front
    Herb Wheeler's Carpentry Shop in Belgrave, Ontario, Herb standing in front (Photo courtesy of Richard Anderson).

Sarah as it turns out, is the daughter of Richard Anderson, great-nephew of Herbert Wheeler. Richard sent the following information about the history of the Charles Wheeler Family:

Charles Wheeler Sr. was born in Dorsetshire, England and came to Canada in 1846, locating in Tecumseh Township where he spent 18 years.  In 1864 he moved with his family to Morris Township where he bought 300 acres which would be the N ½ of Lots 10, 11 and 12, Concession 5, more commonly known as the 4th Line.  He married Caroline Lawrence and they raised a family of five sons, Charles, John and Lawrence of Morris Twp., William of Alma and Frank of Belgrave, and a daughter Mrs. Ann Hughes of Escanaba, Michigan.

This history is meant to briefly chronicle the family of Charles Wheeler, son of Charles Wheeler Senior.

  • Charles Wheeler married Mary Ann Wilkinson and they raised a family of five sons and three daughters.
  • Carrie married Andrew Taylor and they lived in Wingham.  They didn’t have any family.
  • Herbert married Pearl Procter.  They lived in Belgrave and had three of a family.  Goldie, who married Winnie Lane and lived in London.  Velma married Wilfred Pickell and lived in Vancouver.  Ken married Mabel Coultes and farmed in East Wawanosh before retiring to Belgrave.
  • Ernest married Verna Elkington and lived mostly in Alberta and Saskatchewan.  They had a family of two girls, Verna Wheeler who lived in Vancouver and Ila who lived in Alberta.
  • Lennie married Jennie Jordan and they lived most of their married life in Vancouver.  They had a family of one boy, Howard, and one daughter, Gladys, both of B.C.
  • Jesse married Hazel Campbell and later Ethel Willock.  They didn’t have any children.
  • Cecil married Edna Scandrett and Laura Robinson who both predeceased him.  His first marriage to Edna Scandrett had a family of three girls.  Nora who lived in London was married to Bernard Crellin.  Ruth married Laurence Davis and lived in Brampton.  Mary and her husband Bert Turner lived in Abbotsford B.C.
  • Lena married Nelson Higgins and they farmed in Morris Twp.  They had a family of 8 children.  Dorothy, Charles and Norman never married.  Ferrol married Carman Farrier, Carrie married Tom Pletch, Ross married Wilma Johnston.
  • Myrtle married Jack Anderson and lived in Belgrave.  They had a family of four children.  Ross who married Barbara Michie and lived in Belgrave, Marie who died, aged two years.  Lloyd married Eleanor Litt and lived in London.  Donna who married Les Shaw and now resides in Goderich.

More interesting information about this branch of the Wheeler family…..

Charles Wheeler farmed on Lot 12 and after his death in 1913 his son Jesse took over the home farm.  When Jesse married, his mother moved to Belgrave to the house now occupied by Wes and Annie Cook.  Jesse continued to farm there until he retired to Belgrave.

Cecil farmed Lot 11 until he retired to Blyth.

Herbert had a wood working shop in Belgrave.

Ernest worked for the C.N.R. as an agent and dispatcher.

Carrie and her husband owned and operated the Queen’s Hotel in Wingham.

Lena and her husband farmed in Morris Tsp.

Myrtle and her husband lived in Belgrave and Jack operated a custom threshing operation.

Ironically, the only descendants of this family of Wheelers who continued farming in Morris were Lena’s son Ross Higgins and his son Bruce.

A note from David Pickell, Herbert Wheeler’s grandson

Hi! I’m Herb Wheeler’s grandson… When I knew my grandparents, Pearl and Herb, they lived in Belgrave. Their three children were Goldwyn (a school principal in London), A. Velma (my mother) and Kenneth, a farmer who lived and farmed a few minutes drive from Belgrave… Herb Wheeler was a carpenter and, as the name suggests, repaired farm equipment such as wooden wheeled carts etc. He was quiet, and had a subtle sense of humour us kids loved…” – David Pickell

The following poem written about Herbert Wheeler by a family member definitely gives a wonderful, lasting impression of just who Herbert was and his occupation as a talented woodworker, carpenter and barber. It would have been great to experience just what this writer did so long ago.

Herb Wheeler’s Carpentry Shop & Hair Cutting CIRCA 1932-1945

Whenever Herb was in his shop, I’d like to go and look,
He might be cutting some one’s hair, or be reading some big book,
There were jigs galore hanging all around, some maybe for a sleigh,
There were shavings bright upon the floor, they would soon be swept away.
Herb never left a job undone, if he could finish it that day,
Except of course a larger job, he would maybe stop and say,
“Tomorrow is another day, I’ll hope to get it done,”
“But if I don’t the job will keep, it’s not hurting any one. ”
Sometimes just after Supper, Herb again would be around,
He’d pump up a gas lantern, light it up and settle down.
For Herb, doubled as a barber, he’d cut hair two weekday nights,
Herb, never used power clippers, he did not charge enough by rights.
Somehow, Two bits is what I think, was all a haircut cost,
I really can’t remember, it’s something I have lost.
Herb did not pull your hair at all, as hand clippers often do,
He’d sometimes talk as the clippers clicked, and he’d ask, “does this suit you” ?
Herb was skilled at doing wood work, he could make most anything,
He made a Bob sled for the kids, it nearly did take wing
The fastest sled around those parts, down the ninth line hill it flew.
Ken would try to give us all a ride, or sometimes maybe two.
I expect that Goldie, used the sled, and likely Velma too,
It needed someone that could steer, and knew just what to do.
I’ve seen the times, when snow was hard, and a fast start at the top,
You’d have to turn the corner, at the highway, to get stopped.
Herb made Ken skis, that were Black Ash wood, what a lovely pair,
The skis would take you down a hill, like you were cushioned on some air.
When the skis were waxed and shone and dried, no one ever saw the like,
They would make a run ahead of all, they would go clean out of sight
There were other things of super class, that emerged for that shop door.
A set of kitchen cupboards, like you’d never seen before.
Herb had a little saying, and he practised it always
“If you measure twice before you cut, it eliminates delays”!
I have seen him make a set of shafts, the wood he’d have to steam
To make a bend for the horse to fit into the cutters beam.
Herb had the kind of patience, that a lot of people lack,
That is what made him extra special, with an extra special knack.

In conclusion

So far, the research has yielded no straight answers as to the gloves’ origin, but the search continues. While a pattern might give you a hint to the origin of a knitted item, you need to identify more such as the cast-on method, the type of ribbing, how the fringe was made, and how the strands (or floats) were carried across the back of the knitting. A full reproduction of Herbert’s gloves would help to answer the remaining questions.

In conclusion, there really isn’t a conclusion… But what I can say is that taking the time to explore knitting traditions and a local family’s history has been a fascinating, rewarding experience. I’m so grateful for Herbert’s relatives who have answered my questions and sent so many wonderful images to be shared here with everyone. They went to a lot of work to compile the info and family photographs and I can’t thank them enough for all their time and effort.

I’ve come to think that the original knitter may have incorporated features that he liked into these gloves, perhaps not following one certain pattern, but rather combining different elements into one. A full recreation of the gloves is planned for late fall 2021 and right now I’m testing a local wool I may be using for the reproduction. Stay tuned to the website for further updates as we move forward.

Resources

 

For me, this journey is all about the story in the stitches. It’s so wonderful to see people knitting local history and in doing so connecting with Herbert and his family. This brings history alive, this act of recreation, connecting us to Herbert, to our knitting traditions, and the wonderful textile collection at Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol. Imagine all the stories held within their textile collection, each item just waiting to share its history.

Thank you for reading!

The Huron Wristers: a story of connections part 1

The Huron Wristers
The Huron Wristers, inspired by the colourwork in Herbert’s knitted gloves.

The story of the creation of the Huron Wristers is a story of connections: the connection of past to present, of generation to generation.

Back in 1972 Pearl Wheeler donated a pair of knitted gloves that once belonged to her husband Herbert to the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol. The museum’s record notes that at the time the gloves were thought to date from 1870 and were knit by a man.

Herbert and Pearl lived in Belgrave, Ontario. Herbert had seven siblings, four brothers and three sisters.  His parents were Charles Wheeler and Mary Ann Wilkinson. Herbert was a carpenter and apparently also the local barber. How long the gloves were in Herb’s possession no one knows.

While in visiting the museum researching women’s headcoverings – I had an idea to recreate a head scarf one of my ancestors wore (that’s the lady on the upper left of the home page) – I happened upon an image of Herb’s gloves. There was something very intriguing about the gloves. First, the colours – the pink is very bold and the contrast between the pink and black is quite striking. Secondly, the colourwork pattern – it seems familiar, but yet different somehow. It looks Fair Isle inspired, but there’s something else there. And the fringe of the cuff, so interesting.

Who made these gloves? There’s no record of that. The gloves may have been knitted for Herbert by an older family member; or purchased at some point earlier on and then Herbert inherited them; or Herbert bought the gloves himself from someone; or given his trade, perhaps they were payment for some work he did. It was time to do research on the pattern and see what could be found.

The Colourwork Pattern of the Gloves

  • One of the pair of knitted gloves owned by Herbert Wheeler. Donated by Pearl Wheeler in 1972.
    One of the pair of knitted gloves donated by Pearl Wheeler in 1972 and dated to approximately 1870 (Image used courtesy of the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol).

Herbert’s gloves were knit in the round using the stranded colourwork technique, working two colours of yarn in the same row, carrying the unused yarn across the inside of the work. The 8-stitch motif repeating pattern is similar to both the Shetland Fair Isle knitting pattern, ‘Little Flowers’ as well as an Estonian pattern called, ‘Cat’s Paw’.

The gloves feature a knitted fringe on a short ribbed cuff. Fringing has been used on both Latvian mittens and Estonian gloves, historical and modern versions and not so much in the Fair Isle tradition. The fringe appears to have been done using a loop technique which is done during the construction of the glove. The colourwork may seem close to the Sanquhar tradition, but it’s not a match for the following reasons according to knitters on the Knitting History Forum:

  • There are quite a few designs associated with Sanquhar. Possibly the most well known ones are based on 11 by 11 stitch squares. The squares have strong outlines with alternating patterns within the squares. Herb’s gloves therefore do not fulfill these criteria.
  • Some Sanquhar gloves also have an interesting finger construction with little triangular gussets in the finger spaces and triangular finger tips. Also, all Sanquhar have a shaped thumb placed on the palm side rather than on the side of the hand as here.
  • Finally, the stitch count, wool and colour are not really in the Sanquhar tradition. Gloves tend to be monochromatic. Wool used is finer, stitch count for the cuff around 80 stitches and modern needle size of around 2mm used.
The Old Hand Knitters of the Dales
The Old Hand-Knitters of the Dales, a book about the knitting traditions of the Dales of England. The glove, with a fringed cuff, is similar in some ways to Herbert’s gloves in the Huron County Museum.

The Knitting History Forum was invaluble as it connected me with Angharad Thomas, researcher, designer and knitter. Angharad wrote, “The only pattern I could find similar to that used in these gloves was a 4 stitch x 4 row triangle in a Shetland pattern book … but there’s a limit to what can be knitted on a given number of sts in whatever colours are to hand. That’s how I think these patterns came about rather than from one tradition or another. Fringes are now associated with Latvia but there are gloves from the north of England with a fringe…” Angharad then suggested I reach out to Shirley Scott, Canadian knitting designer.

Shirley Scott, knitting designer and author

Shirley Scott, knitting designer and author, immediately suggested the similarity to Estonian mitten patterns and sent a few images of pattern motifs. She then pointed me in the direction of Nancy Bush, an Estonian knitting expert. Shirley also cautioned that there may be no clear and definitive answer as to the pattern name and origins.

Don’t be surprised if the pattern has no real name. Newfoundland patterns have never had names, for example. We made ours up, as explained in our books. It’s also hard to pinpoint the origins of patterns these days because North America has had so many waves of immigration and so much pattern sharing.

– Shirley A. Scott, knitting designer, author of Canada Knits; Saltwater Mittens; Saltwater Classics

Nancy Bush, Estonian knitting expert

Nancy Bush a knitting writer, designer and authority on Estonian knitting, wrote:

“I have found a pattern close to the one on your mittens from both Paistu and Helme parishes in Estonia (these are southwest). The difference is that the diamond with cross shapes are offset, as is the example of Sander’s Mittens in Folk Knitting in Estonia. There is another pattern that is like the ones from Helme and Paistu in a pattern book from the Rannarootsi Museum in Haapsalu. This museum tells the story of Swedish/Estonian people who lived in Estonian territory, mostly until the 2nd WW. I don’t know the story of these exact mittens, just that the pattern is close.

The fact that the diamond with cross shapes are stacked instead of offset makes me think they were not looking at any of the patterns I have mentioned above, or mittens made like them…

All that being said… this is a very simple pattern, easy to create with knit stitches and could have originated almost anywhere… it is very possible these mittens were made by someone who was remembering a pattern they knew as a child, for instance, and reproduced it as best they could, with the yarn they had…”

So, which was it, Estonian or Fair Isle? It was time to research the Wheeler family and Herbert. Where did their family originate? Was there a family tie to either Estonia or the British Isles? When an instagram post by Best Dishes, a Goderich business owned by Sarah Anderson, appeared in my feed one day identifying the wristers pattern as based on a family heirloom, chance had dropped the opportunity in my lap. It was time to connect. A couple messages back and forth and the story unfolded…

See part 2 of the Huron Wristers: A Story of Connections

Resources

  • Upcoming workshop: On March 25, the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol is hosting a Huron Wristers Virtual Knitting Workshop. If you’d like to find out more or attend, please click here!
  • Huron Wristers Knitting Kit: If you’d like to knit a pair of Huron Wristers for yourself, please go to the FACTS website to purchase a kit.
  • Alternatively, if you’d like to work with the colourwork pattern and stitch some history with your own yarn, here is a chart to get you started! The chart could probably also be used for cross-stitching or rughooking and I’d love to see how that would turn out.
  • Contact me with any questions or comments at any time with an email to sbolen@stitchrevivalstudio.ca 
  • Stitch Revival Studio on YouTube: Looking for a how-to on how to knit the gloves? I’ve just created a YouTube channel and will be uploading a series of Huron Wristers knitting how-to’s.

Thank you for reading!

 

Huron Wristers and the Colours of Huron

The Blyth History Stitcher is at it again… naturally dyed palette created by FACTS and beautiful wool from Steele Wool Farm, this is definitely a creative fibre collaboration; it’s time for an update on the Huron Wristers.

The Huron Wristers Kits are now in production, with the coloured yarn being weighed and divided.

The worsted weight wool is from Steele Wool Farm, a Blyth-area fibre producer owned by Margaret Steele. Naturally sourced local dyes, provided by FACTS Blyth, were used to create the palette of the ‘Colours of Huron’.

Each kit will have enough wool to knit a pair of medium/large fingerless mitts and will consist of one ball of natural wool (220 yards) and two smaller balls (35 yards each) of naturally dyed wool. The colours will vary per kit as to showcase the wonderful palette that is Huron County.

Featuring a simple cast-off thumb open and 2x ribbed cuffs, these wristers are perfect for keeping your hands warm and your fingers free. Suitable for experienced knitters.

Inspired by a pair vintage knitted gloves in the collection of the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol, the mitts feature a recreation of the gloves’ colourwork design. The colourwork motifs are similar to both the Shetland Fair Isle pattern, ‘Little Flowers’ as well as the Estonian pattern, ‘Cat’s Paw’. The original gloves feature a fringed cuff, also hinting at an Estonian inspiration.

These fingerless wool mittens are great for someone needing a bit of warmth and to keep their fingers free for various tasks around the farm, office or studio.

Researching vintage colourwork

Draft pattern for a pattern in development, the Huron Wristers. Images of the original knitted glove in the collection of the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol are on the left and right of the wrister image.

I’ve been doing some research on colourwork patterns and knitting histories and traditions as part of the development of a new pattern, the Huron Wristers.

The wristers pattern is based on a pair of lovely knitted gloves in the collection of the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol located in Goderich, Ontario.

The museum’s gloves are approximately 100 years old, are knit with wool and are large enough to fit a man’s hands.

knitted glove
Close-up of knitted glove from the collection of the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol. Photo used here courtesy of the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol.

The pattern is somewhat similar to Sanquhar and Fair Isle colourwork traditions.

I went through many a pattern book and magazine, looking for where the pattern may have originated.

I’ve come to think that the knitter (said to have been a man in the museum’s notes), may have incorporated features that he liked into these gloves, perhaps not following one certain pattern but rather combining different elements into one.

I took my questions to the Knitting History Forum group and I got some interesting leads. If you are researching old patterns, I suggest you become a member… it’s free to join and it’s a great way to connect with others interesting in discussing knitting history.

Here’s what I learned:

The gloves feature a knitted fringe on a short ribbed cuff. I asked about this tradition and where it comes from. One of the members informed me that fringing has been used on both Latvian mittens and Estonian gloves, historical and modern versions.

The colourwork is close to Fair Isle, with only two colours being used in each row.

One member, named Sue, I’ll quote in full because she provided such a wealth of information:

“I have knitted a few Sanquhar patterns based on patterns produced by the Scottish Women’s Rural Institute which are assumed to be reasonably faithful to the tradition. These patterns were written in the mid 20th century, although the tradition is older.

My thoughts are that the design here is nearer Shetland ‘little flowers’ (peerie flooers) and not really in the Sanquhar tradition for the following reasons.

There are quite a few designs associated with Sanquhar. Possibly the most well known ones are based on 11 by 11 stitch squares. The squares have strong outlines with alternating patterns within the squares. Your example therefore does not fulfill these criteria in my opinion.

Some Sanquhar gloves also have an interesting finger construction with little triangular gussets in the finger spaces and triangular finger tips. Also, all the Sanquhar I have made have a shaped thumb placed on the palm side rather than on the side of the hand as here.

Finally, the stitch count, wool and colour are not really in the Sanquhar tradition. Gloves tend to be monochromatic. Wool used is finer, stitch count for the cuff around 80 stitches and modern needle size of around 2mm used.

I recommend you dip into the Sanquhar group on Ravelry if you are interested in learning more…”

Another group member, Angharad, replied to my question. Her response is below:

“The only pattern I could find similar to that used in these gloves was a 4 stitch x 4 row triangle in a Shetland pattern book … but there’s a limit to what can be knitted on a given number of sts in whatever colours are to hand. That’s how I think these patterns came about rather than from one tradition or another. Fringes are now associated with Latvia but there are 1846 (?) gloves from the north of England with a fringe and also at least two known pairs of liturgical gloves with a fringe.”

Check out these links

  • Traditional Sanquhar knitting charts… click here!
  • Kate Davies, Peerie Floors… click here!
  • Hazel Tindall, Authentic Fair Isle Patterns… click here!
  • Hazel Tindall; ‘Colourful Fair Isle’ image similar to the glove pattern… click here!
  • Dr. Angharad Thomas, knitting researcher & designer… click here

The Huron Wristers draft pattern

The Huron Wristers draft pattern is now at the test stitching phase. If you’d like to give it a go, I’d welcome the input. Just send me an email to sbolen@stitchrevivalstudio.ca and I’ll send the pattern your way.

I do have plans to do a full reproduction of the knitted gloves for the near future. Please stay tuned for updates on that venture.

Huron Wristers – an update

Image of vintage knitted glove from the collection of the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol. Photo used with permission of the museum.
Vintage knitted glove from the collection of the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol. Photo used with permission of the museum.

I was working at finalizing & editing my pattern for the Huron Wristers, a pair of fingerless gloves. Gotta get it ready for a test stitcher or two. Wool is from Steele Wool Farm . Colourwork is based on a pair of knitted gloves in the collection of Huron County Museum.