We thought it might be fun to see how knitting has changed since 1860. We here at For the Love of Yarn have not knit this up, nor can we be any help with the pattern. This is just a reprint of a pattern taken from an 1860’s ladies magazine. Enjoy and please share with us a picture if you do try and create this on your own! The following is exactly how the pattern was printed in Peterson’s magazine:

Child’s Knitted Sacque
By Mrs. Jane Weaver

The pattern for this will be found, printed in colors, in the front of the number.

Materials. – Eight oz. single zephyr, two sizes wooden needles, small and large.

Cast on 230 stitches on the fine needles.

1st Row. –Knit plain.

2nd Row. –Knit 2 plain, *bring the wool forward and knit two together. *Repeat to the end of the row.

3rd Row. –Plain.

4th Row. –Plain.

5th Row. –Slip one stitch, and knit two together, passing the slip stitch over the last stitch know; 4 plain, bring the wool forward, knit 1; *bring the wool forward, knit 4, slip 1, knit 2 together, pass the slip stitch over as before, knit 4; bring the wool forward and knit 1. *Repeat to the end of the row.

6th Row. –Purl.

7th Row. –Same as 5th.

8th Row. –Purl.

9th Row. –Same as 5th.

10th Row. –Purl.

11th Row. –Purl.

12th Row. –Plain.

13th Row. –Purl.

14th Row. –Plain.

15th Row. –Use the large needles, *bring the wool forward and knit 1. *Repeat to the end of the row.

16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd Rows. –Same as 15th, observing to knit 2 together instead of 1, as in 15th row.

23rd Row. –Knit 2 together to the end of the row, using the fine needles.

24th Row. –Plain, using the fine needles.
25th Row. –Purl, using the fine needles.
26th Row. –Plain, using the fine needles.
27th Row. –Using the larger needles, same as the 15th row.
28th Row, 29th Row, 30th Row, 31st Row, 32nd Row, 33rd Row. 34th Row. Bring the wool forward and knit 2 together to the end of the row.
35th Row. –Knit 2 together to the end of the row, using the small needles
36th Row. –Plain.
37th Row. –Purl.
38th Row. –Plain, narrowing until you have 152 stitches.
* 39th Row. –Knit 3 plain, slip 2 stitches, * knit 6 plain, slip 2. *Repeat to the end of the row.
40th Row. –Purl, always slipping the two stitches as before.
41st Row. –Same as 39th.
42nd Row. –Same as 40th.
43rd Row. –Same as 41st.
44th Row. –Same as 42nd.
45th Row. –Knit plain, knitting the slipped stitches.
46th Row. –Plain.
47th Row. –Purl.
48th Row. –Plain.
49th Row. –Knit 6 plain, slip 2, knit 6 plain, slip 2. Repeat to the end of the needle.
50th Row. –Purl, slipping 2 stitches.
51st Row. –Same as 49th.
52nd and 54th Rows. –Like 50th.
53rd Row. –Same as 51st.
55th Row. –Plain, knitting the slipped stitches.
56th Row. –Plain.
57th Row. –Purl.
58th Row. –Plain.
59th Row. –Purl. *Repeat from 39th row until you have it long enough for the waist; then take 32 stitches for each front, and knit in the same way until it is long enough for the arm-hole; then knit the back in the same way and the same length. Then the other front the same length; then knit in the same way as before from the 39th row. Knit 2 together on each side of the shoulder, after knitting the pattern once; narrow for the neck. The sleeves are commenced same as sacque, using the fine needles, casting on 70 stitches. Knit the same as first 14 rows.

The knit the same from the 39th row to the 29th row; then repeat from the 39th row to the 49th, inclusive. Next using the large needles, knit 1, bring the wool forward and knit 1 plain, do this twice in the same stitch to the end of the row. Next bring the wool forward and knit 2 together to the end of the row. Knit 4 rows in the same way.

1 row plain, knitting 4 stitches together to the end of the row, 3 or 4 rows plain knitting. Repeat from the 49th row again until the sleeve is long enough. Finish off the sleeve by knitting 2 or 3 rows plain on the fine needles.

For the Collar. –Cast on 100 stitches. Knit it exactly like the lower part of sacque, until you have it 2 inches long, always knitting 3 stitches together in the centre of the collar in every alternate row. Finish with several rows plain knitting. Edge up the front with the same as the border of the sacque.