Welsh Women Knitting

(Welsh Quilts)

Photographs of Welsh women in national dress were wildly popular in the late 19th century, partly as tourist souvenirs, and partly I think as a record of rapidly-disappearing country life.  One of the three most common occupations for the subject -- the other two being going to market and having tea -- was knitting.  I happened across one of these images this morning as I was searching for my ancestors in Breconshire, and quickly found myself utterly absorbed in the genre.

"Mrs Edwards knitting in Welsh national dress, c. 1875" (Gathering the Jewels/Casglu'r Tlysau).  Mrs. Edwards, bless her, appears to have cataracts.

(feitoamao)

It was not unusual for Welsh countrywomen to have bare forearms, so as not to get their sleeves dirty as they went about their daily work.  They would then wear separate half-sleeves for Sunday and best.

Photographed by John Thomas. (WalesOnline)  This woman, and some others I've seen, has attached the ball of yarn to her apron with a spare needle.  I can't quite tell if she has ringlets or if her goffered bonnet is dyed black for mourning.

(Victoria's Rusty Knickers [sic])  The source identifies this as a "Welsh Lady knitting a Scarf," but I think it's more likely a sock.  Curiously, I've seen a number of sources say that Welsh countrywomen knitted "socks and scarves" for sale, but all of the images I've seen are pretty obviously socks or stockings.

 

(Annie Cholewa)

 

These last three photographs also appear in a Flickr group entitled "Welsh Fashions" consisting almost entirely of late 19th-century photographs of Welsh women, a very great many of whom are knitting. Notice how many of them are wearing exactly the same betgwn, petticoat, and apron?!  Yes, apparently the clothes were provided by the photographer.  There is some debate about how widespread, even how "traditional" the so-called traditional Welsh dress really was, though most people now seem to agree that it was usually worn for Sundays and best, not everyday.

There was a resurgence of interest all over Europe, it seems, in the 19th century, in national dress, and in some places (Norway, for one) the lack of local interest in it -- because the country women would rather wear more fashionable clothing like their city cousins' -- led to varying degrees of outright invention.  That said, some of the photographs here don't look staged, and even though I know it is at least in part, I really love this one --

 

"A woman knitting in Welsh national dress, c. 1875," photographed by John Thomas (Gathering the Jewels/Casglu'r Tlysau).

Comments

[Susan D]

thanks for sharing. I have TWO old jugs on my kitchen shelf depicting women in Welsh national dress (but not knitting). Because Grandma was born in Merthyr Tydfil

[Mary Lou]

Interesting. I especially like the expression on the face of the woman holding the basket.

[Toffeeapple]

When I was at Infant's school we had to dress up every March 1st (Saint David's Day) in traditional dress, those stovepipe hats were very difficult to keep on our heads. In the 1940s and 50s women mostly made their own clothes and fashion was not something to be striven for, clean and decent clothing was the aim. Having said that though, forearms were always bare and shoulders were covered by a shawl, the front ends of which were always tucked in at the waist, especially if there was a baby to be carried.

[Wendy]

Thank you! I loved my trip to Wales and hope that you can visit sometime! My guess is that you are correct re: the stockings which were a major cottage industry. I was lucky to see William Dyce's painting "Welsh Landscape with Two Women Knitting" at the National Museum in Cardiff while I was there :
. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Dyce,_Welsh_Landscape_with_Two_Women_Knitting,_1860._Photo-_Amgueddfa_Cymru,_National_Museum_Wales..jpg

[Gaenor]

My mom, who was from the Rhondda Valley, used to tell us that when she was little, they would all watch for grandma when she was coming over and she would come over the hill on her horse, sitting side saddle and knitting as she rode along! I dream of being that accomplished!