Artifact: Set of six knitting needles
Materials: Blued Steel
Dimensions: Roughly 18 cm.
Date: 1840-1860
Origin: England
Collection: Victoria & Albert Museum
Ledger Entry: Pair of Knitting Needles
Department: Sewing
Customer: Elias Cockeril
Ledger Page: 203
Imported From: Knitting needles could be made locally either by whittling them from wood, or produced by colonial blacksmiths; however metal needles were frequently imported from England.
Product Description
Knitting needles were used to produce garments out of yarn which was frequently spun at home. Hand knitting was one aspect of the women's contribution to domestic economy and was a marketable skill for servants and slaves and as an accomplishment for the women of the family. Socks made up the majority of functional knitwear in the American colonies, but items such as mittens and shawls were frequently produced as well.
Citation: Adrienne D. Hood The Weaver's Craft: Cloth, Commerce, and Industry in Early Pennsylvania. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003), 79-81.;
Historical Price: 2 pence; Modern USD: $1.86
Product Variations
The databases record eight purchases of knitting needles. These unspecified needles are sold in pairs and their prices range from two pence to eighteen pence.
