bundle up

Category : Textiles
Date : January 19, 2014

With the next polar vortex bearing down on us, it is time to gather one’s warmest clothes and prepare to bundle up for the daily chores—fire stoking, chicken feeding, wood chopping, egg gathering.  What did the women of yore wear in the bitter winter?

Recently, I saw a painting of Mrs. Richard Bache (Sarah Franklin, 1743-1808–Ben Franklin’s daughter) wearing a crisscrossed shawl and it occurred to me that shawls for women were the equivalent of waistcoats for men.

IMG_0841

A shawl—a very large triangle—worn over the shoulders and crossed over the chest, can be tied in the back.  The shawl is now secure and one does not have to concentrate on holding it closed or worrying about it falling off.  Thus, one is able to move about freely and accomplish needed tasks.  Furthermore, the trunk of the body is warm, just as if one was wearing a modern day vest.

In the recent movie, Camille Claudel 1915, Camille (played by Juliette Binoche) wears a very large shawl, and throughout the movie, the shawl takes on many uses—as a large scarf bundled around her neck, as a shawl draped over the shoulders, and as a ‘waistcoat’ wrapped and tied around her waist.  In contrast, the character Griet, in the movie Girl with a Pearl Earring, merely drapes her shawl around her and holds it closed with her arms, thus not allowing the body freedom of movement.

After seeing Juliette wrap, drape and enfold her body with her knitted shawl, I decided to make one.  I discussed this with one of my colleagues and fellow knitters, and there was a twinkle in her eye.  The next day she brought me the perfect pattern—‘A Sensible Shawl’ by Celeste Young.  My shawl, finished just in time for the last polar vortex, has been keeping me warm as I move through the day’s chores and at night whilst I am knitting socks or stitching my Alabama Chanin DIY swing skirt.

Wrap up and keep warm.

Mrs. Richard Bache, 1793, by John Hopper (British, 1758-1810), oil on canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Comments (4)

I want one.

10 years ago

    It is pretty easy to knit, Sharon–and good for road trip knitting. Oh, headed to Dartmouth, MA at the end of the week for a bit of research. I won’t be knitting on that drive, for I will be behind the wheel.

    10 years ago
Angela

Love the shawl. You should add those to your line! 🙂

10 years ago

Look forward to seeing your Alabama Chanin swing skirt. Roxanne Cash looked great in her Alabama Chanin outfit in the New York Times magazine last Sunday.

10 years ago

Leave a Reply to sharon Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Website by Roundhex. Adapted from Workality Plus by Northeme. Powered by WordPress
@