Exercises in Knitting

Mee, CorneliaProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 94K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Exercises in Knitting by Cornelia MeeAuthor: Mee, Cornelia,Language: English, Class: TT: Technology: Handicrafts, Arts and crafts, Release Date: Apr 11, 2007

Editor's review

This is a knitting exercise book by Cornelia Mee, a handicraft manual freely released in its original English edition by Project Gutenberg. Its value lies not in theoretical exposition but in using "exercises" as a thread to break down knitting stitches, pattern organization, and finished-piece construction into step-by-step training units that readers can work through hands-on. Its highlight is that it preserves the original layout and terminology system of nineteenth-century knitting books, making it a usable primary text for those studying traditional knitting techniques, pattern naming, and the history of handicraft education; for ordinary knitting enthusiasts, it is more like an old-school tutorial that requires patience in cross-referencing charts and repeated trial work. The reading setting suits a workbench or craft reading corner, with yarn, needles, and paper at hand for notes, rather than as casual commute reading. One caveat: the terminology and stitch symbols in the book may differ from contemporary knitting usage, so readers should ideally have basic knitting experience before starting; when encountering unfamiliar abbreviations, verify them first before trying a swatch to avoid unraveling work due to misunderstanding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Knitting enthusiasts with basic experience who want systematic practice in stitches and patterns
Readers studying traditional knitting techniques and nineteenth-century craft books
Hands-on makers who like to work from original patterns, trying them out while reading and taking notes
Teachers in craft education who need old-style practice material for reference

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners who need modern diagrams and video guidance
Readers expecting finished garment schematics and contemporary fashion designs
Casual readers who only want to read and do not plan to knit

Reading tips

Read through the table of contents first, order the stitches by difficulty, and begin trial-knitting from the simplest exercise units.
Keep pen and paper handy to note the book's abbreviations and symbols; look up unfamiliar terms before starting to knit.
Work on one exercise unit at a time and photograph each finished piece for easy comparison of stitch effects.
Read alongside modern knitting tutorials to understand the differences between old-style phrasing and contemporary terminology.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for someone with no knitting foundation at all?

Not really. The book organizes content into exercise units, and its terminology and symbol system are rather old-fashioned, lacking the step-by-step diagrams and video guidance of modern tutorials. Beginners are likely to get stuck on abbreviations and stitch understanding. It is advisable to first master basic operations such as casting on and knit/purl stitches through contemporary beginner tutorials, then return to this book for targeted practice.

Are the knitting terms in the book the same as those in common use today?

Not entirely. The book preserves the phrasing of earlier knitting publications, and some abbreviations, stitch names, and pattern notations differ from contemporary conventions. It is advisable to prepare a terminology comparison table while reading and to verify uncertain abbreviations before trial-knitting, so as to avoid ripping out work due to misunderstandings.

Is this the original English edition, and is the reading threshold high?

Yes, it is the original English edition, published by Project Gutenberg. The main text consists mainly of knitting exercise instructions with relatively direct sentence structures, but it involves numerous stitch abbreviations and craft terms, so there is still a certain threshold for non-native readers. It is advisable to have basic English reading ability and to use a knitting dictionary or online terminology database alongside it.

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About the author

Mee, Cornelia Author · British

Cornelia Mee was a nineteenth-century British knitting author known for compiling and circulating patterns for knitting, crochet, and lace. Her representative work, Exercises in Knitting, gathered a variety of stitches and handcraft techniques for a growing readership of domestic needleworkers. Besides that book, she published several manuals of knitting, crochet, and lace patterns, characterized by clear stitch instructions and workable designs, reflecting a practical style meant to be followed directly. Public information about her life is limited: her birth and death years, education, and personal history are not reliably recorded, and the library holds only one of her works. Nevertheless, her pattern manuals occupy a place in the nineteenth-century British tradition of craft publishing and offer a useful textual reference for later understanding of the knitting techniques and pattern circulation of the period.