Schwalm Costume – The Stockings

The Schwalm people wore hand-knit stockings that reached well past the knees. The stockings were held up with garters bound around the legs.

Stolzer Schwaelmer Zwickelstrumpf | proud Schwalm stocking

In the year 1930, a poor bride would possess six to eight pairs of stockings, while the rich bride would have 40 pairs in her trousseau.

Originally, summer stockings were knit from linen yarn, later on cotton was used. Cotton yarn made its first appearance in the Schwalm around 1830. For the Winter stockings finely spun sheep´s wool was used. The women´s stockings were white, the men´s stockings were white and sometimes dyed to blue. In order to achieve a bright white stocking, the sheep-woolen Winter stockings were bleached.

Specifically patterned stockings were worn on different occasions. The “Linkten” – stockings with patterns made with purl stitches – were worn during mourning and by old wives. The “Zwickelstrümpfe” (Zwickel = gusset, crotch) with small pattern-stripes were worn during everyday life. They were usually made from thicker yarn. On Sunday, “Zwickelstrümpfe” with wide pattern-stripes were worn; these were made from fine yarn. For special festive days and holidays, “stolze Zwickelstrümpfe” (stolz = proud) were worn. (In the Schwalm, the label “stolz” was given to all things especially gorgeous and elaborately decorated.) The “stolzen Zwickelstrümpfe” were knitted with very fine yarn and had especially beautiful and elaborate patterns with extra wide pattern-stripes. The “eingelegten” (= inlaid) stockings were a specialty. These “Zwickelstrümpfe” had elaborate knitting patterns in which an additional thread was carried and, depending on the pattern, alternately laid before or behind the stitches. (One could get the impression that those stockings were embroidered after knitting. That is not the case – it is a pure knitting pattern.)
Because the techniques involved were extremely difficult, only the most talented knitter or the richest women could afford this impressive kind of “Zwickelstrümpfe”. Of especial worth are stockings in which the initials or the year were knitted: here, “AKE” for Anna Katharina Ermel.
eingestrickte Initialen | knitted initials

The stockings were knit in rounds, from cuff to toe, employing five fine knitting needles. They were composed of different sections. The cuff was a 5-10 cm high stripe or band. The “Börtchen” ( = small border) was knit according to the occasion for which it was meant to be worn. The “Börtchen” pattern might be a simple knit 2, purl 2 rib, a peekaboo or pigtail design.

unterschiedliche Börtchen | different borders
Börtchen mit Lochmuster | border with peekaboo design

At the back of the stocking, from bottom of the “Börtchen” and down to the heel, runs a small straight pattern-stripe called “Nähtche” (= small seam). The remainder of the area under the “Börtchen” and past the knee, plain stockinette stitch is worked for a some centimeters.

Naehtchen | small seam

Now, along both sides of the calf runs a pattern-stripe, beginning with the “Platte” ( = plate).

Zwickelmuster mit Platte | pattern stripe with plate
Platte mit zwei Musterm | plate with 2 differnt patternsPlatte mit einem Muster | plate with one pattern

The “Platte” had the shape of a pentagon. The “Platte” was a little bit wider than the pattern-stripe below it. For the “Platte” there were two different possibilities: either it was made with the same patterns as the stripe below, only wider, or a large design was knit in its middle. The large design was usually a heart pattern with a small stripe, based on the stripe below, on both sides. This “Zwickelmuster” ran down to the heel.
komplettes Zwickelmuster | complete pattern stripe

On women´s stockings, the pattern continued onto the top of the foot to the toes. This is because women wore not only the buckle shoes, but also the low-cut “Kommod” (= commodious) shoes. On the men´s stockings, the pattern ended at the top of the heels. This is because men only wore the high-necked buckle or lace-up (for everyday life) shoes or boots.
On many women’s stockings a very narrow, straight pattern band with a curved pattern, called “Schlängchen” (= small snake), ran on both sides of the “Zwickel”.

Schlaengchen | curved pattern

Between the pattern-stripes, a gusset was created so that the stocking would better fit the leg form.
However, in Schwalm the pattern-stripes on the sides were called gusset, not the special shaping done between the pattern-stripes.
Vorderseite eines Zwickelstrumpfes | front part of a stocking
Heels, soles of the foot and toes were worked in stockinette stitch. Casting off the tip was mostly made in a star form.
Ferse Sohle und Spitze | heel sole and foot

There are many different knitting patterns playing a role in Schwalm knitting. I will show some of them in future posts.

Filling Pattern – No. 446

No. 446
category: simple drawn thread filling pattern
stitches used: Satin stitches over 3 threads in the width and Honeycomb Darning stitches
vertical axis: withdrawn thread line
materials used: 13.5/cm thread-count Weddigen linen
Coton à broder No. 20 (Coral Knot stitches, Satin stitches and Honeycomb Darning stitches), No.
25 (Blanket stitches) and No. 30 (Chain stitches)

Fadenauszug | thread withdrawing

Starting in the middle, alternate withdrawing 1 vertical thread and leaving 3 vertical threads.
In vertical columns, from bottom to top and back, embroider Satin stitches as “bars”. From the center, leave unworked the 2 centermost groups of 3 vertical threads. Stitch a Satin stitch bar over the next 3 threads, *leave 2 groups of 3 unworked, then work another Satin stitch bar*. Always repeat the steps (*), until one half of the shape is filled.

Wickelstichstangen | Satin stitch bars

Again starting in the middle, fill the second half mirrored.

Waffelstiche | Honeycomb Darning stitches

The right of the two remaining groups of 3 vertical threads are now embroidered, from bottom to top, with Honeycomb Darning stitches over 4 threads in the width (when the heart is turned 90°).
Finally, the remaining group of 3 vertical threads is embroidered from top to bottom mirrored to the first.

Waffelstiche vergrößert | Honeycomd Darning stitches enlarged

The enlarged image shows how the Honeycomb Darning stitch is worked. However, more detailed instructions can be found in my book “Basic Principles of Schwalm Whitework”.

fertiges Muster ungewaschen | finisched pattern before laundry

The finished pattern – here unwashed – has a three-dimensional effect.

gewaschen gestaerkt gebuegelt | washed starched and ironed

Washed, starched and ironed the finished pattern shows its full charm.

Tablecloth for all Seasons – February: Hearts

In February there is Valentine’s Day: the day for lovers. And what could be more appropriate than to choose the heart – the symbol for love – for this month’s tablecloth decoration. Of course, the heart is doubly appropriate for our purpose since the motif plays a big role in Schwalm whitework.

In past posts, “A Comparison of Iron-On Transfer Pencils” and “Iron Transfer versus direct Tracing”, one can find a heart design. Also on this blog one can find many articles describing how to embroider a heart.

Herzkontur | heart design

Embroider some such hearts, either all the same size and the same shape or in different sizes or shapes.

One can see how to cut out an embroidered heart here: “Small Project – Slate meets Linen”.

Das Herz wird ausgeschnitten | cut the heart - 1

It is a fun to play with the finished pieces to test the different possibilities for decoration and to find your favorite arrangement.

kleeblattförmige Anordnung | clover leaf order

kreisförmige Anordnung | circled order

Anordnung in gerade Linie | straight band

paarweise Anordnung | pair of hearts

bogenfoermige Anordnung | curved order

Schwalm Hems – The Arch Border (1)

In Schwalm whitework, hems are not only decorated with Four-Sided Hem stitch, Peahole Hem stitch or Needleweaving; they are also adorned with small decorative borders worked along the seam. The arch border is a very special adornment. There are different versions of arch borders.
Here I will present a very plain one – arches placed side by side, separated by a single narrow leaf.

fertige Bogenborte | finished Arch Border

These arches can be decorated with various filling patterns, and so one can achieve something like a sampler where many different patterns are kept always in sight.

It is very easy to take a half-oval shape, surround it with Coral Knot stitches and Chain stitches (worked on the inner side of the Coral Knot stitches), and to fill the shape with any filling pattern.
However, I decided to connect the arches directly to the Peahole hem.

Bogenanschluss am Erbslochhohlsaum | arch connection to Peahole hem (1)

In this instance, the withdrawn vertical threads are not cut along the edge at the top of Peahole hem, but turned down and caught in the Four-Sided stitches at the top of the Peahole hem.

Bogenanschluss am Erbslochhohlsaum | arch connection to Peahole hem (2)

More detailed instructions will be the subject of future articles.