Patriotic colors in knit/crochet

[VirginiaLady]

Does anyone know if there are documents or extant examples of period knit or crochet items (such as scarf, shawl, etc) using red, white, and blue? I haven't had much luck. With the 150th cycle already in progress I thought it would be nice to add to my impression/interpretation if it's correct.
Thanks,
Lisa

[uozumi]

I think the strange thing is that red, white and blue works for both sides. :D I haven't really seen any major articles of clothing in red, white and blue. There are enough red and white articles and red and blue articles but not much of all three. When reading first person accounts many mention cockades or small flags attached to clothing.

Socks:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200602A13.html

http://www.appalachiansockcompany.com/Civil-War-Re-Enactment-Socks.html

There is also a book from 1864 entitled "Red, white and Blue Socks" published in 1864. Socks seem to be the only really popular red, white and blue knitted item.

Here's a clip about hair ornaments, bracelets and pins from an 1863 book entitled "A Budget of Fun for Little Folks":

"It had been decided that, in order to make the party as pretty as possible, all the girls should wear dresses low in the neck and with short sleeves, and each member of the club was to wear some badge of their membership. Jennie, as president of the club, was to wear a crown of oak leaves, with three gilt stars on the frontispiece; a bracelet of tricolored yarn, — red white and blue; a bow of the same, instead of a brooch, and in her hand she was to carry a little wand wound round with the same three colors. Fannie wore a roll of red, white, and blue yarn round her head, while the knitting-needles with which she had achieved so much were run through the front, and glistening in the light gave a very pretty effect. Cora wore a roll of the same tricolor, with tassels hanging from each side, confined by very pretty hair-pins. Lizzie wore a braid of the patriotic colors, with bracelets of the same."

I have frequently seen a scarf from Peterson's Magazine knitted in red, white, and blue but the pattern does not indicate any colors and I have never seen an original.

http://miniurl.com/96540

Hope this helped at least a little.

Stephanie Farra

www.WorldTurndUpsideDown.blogspot.com

[KarinTimour]

Dear Lisa:

In addition to the socks that Stephanie referenced, in a book entitled "Echoes of Glory: Union" you will find a tam that is red/white/blue.

Stephanie:

You wrote:

I think the strange thing is that red, white and blue works for both sides.

Actually, no, red/white/blue are the colors for those whose allegiance is to the Union. Red/white/red are the colors of the Confederacy, and wearing clothing in those colors was extremely popular, especially among women, and with greatest emphasis in areas that were under Federal occupation. If you're interested in reading more about this, check out the website of Miss Vicki Betts, who is a reference librarian at the Univerisity of Texas at Tyler. (I'm very bad at making links, so just do a google search on "Vicki Betts" and you'll find it. She's done a great deal of research on various topics in period newspapers, and if you scroll down her topical list there is a great compilation under "Red/White/Red."

Colleen Formby, of the Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society just did a presentation on the topic of patriotic colors in dress and personal items at the Ladies and Gentlemen of the 1860s conference.

Sincerely,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting: Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[uozumi]

I don't see anything really supporting specifically the Red-White-Red, both articles she gives are specifically in Baltimore.

http://www.uttyler.edu/vbetts/red_white_red.htm

In another article of hers she mentions other Southerners wearing red white and blue.

http://www.uttyler.edu/vbetts/homespun%20patriotism.htm

I think I am missing something.


Stephanie Farra

www.WorldTurndUpsideDown.blogspot.com

[Spinster]

Early songs and references of the war in the Deep South give Three Cheers for the Red White and Red.

In Federal occupied New Orleans, a popular political cartoon indicated women promenading in groups of three--red dresses flanking a white one.

Yep, its an obscure symbol for the Deep South.

[VirginiaLady]

Thank you all for the advice and links. I knew about the flag aprons, cockades, and socks.

So, I would assume that it would be authentic to crochet/knit a shawl with red, white and blue OR red, white and red am I correct?

[VirginiaLady]

I've never had the wonderful opportunity to go to the 1860s Confederence, but I hope to in the future...I realize it's a wealth of info.
Is there a way to get the information from that lecture or past conference topics?

[mmescher]

The Ladies and Gentlemen of the 1860's is certainly a treasure trove of information and a wonderful opportunity to network.

But, not intending to throw a wet blanket on sharing but one of the advantages of coming to the conference is to have access to the materials that are distributed as part of the presentations. While you could discuss the presentations with an attendee and look at their handouts, for an attendee to make you a copy of the handouts would constitute copyright violation. All materials are copyrighted regardless of whether they have been registered with the copyright office.

Michael Mescher

[MrsArmstrong]

The United States Service Magazine, Vol. 4, pg 238
A specimen of the performances of certain damsels was thus recorded June 29, 1862, by the editor of the Ohio Statesman:
“A female military company named the Union Captivators has been formed at Falmouth, near Covington, Kentucky, and over thirty of the most interesting young ladies of the place have joined the organization. The uniform is an apron of the old-fashioned cut, made of red, white, and blue-that part covering the bosom representing the stars, and the lower part the stripes. A gentleman who witnessed the company drill the other evening, says he never say a more interesting sight; the youth, beauty, and patriotic enthusiasm of the ladies, and their graceful drilling, presenting at once a most novel and highly pleasing spectacle.”

[col90]

Dear Lisa:



Colleen Formby, of the Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society just did a presentation on the topic of patriotic colors in dress and personal items at the Ladies and Gentlemen of the 1860s conference.

Sincerely,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting: Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

You're pretty safe in making just about anything you want right now in patriotic colors, whether it be the red/white/blue of the north, or the red/white/red of the south. In researching this topic, I also went through hundreds of period magazines, newspapers, and letters, and found notes about scarves, shawls, watch-pockets, tobacco pouches, handkerchiefs, needlebooks, pinwheels, housewives, etc, all being made in patriotic colors. I have photos of extant examples of most of those, but even without that, there is documentation in primary sources.

Colleen Formby