50 cents

This wonderful book 'The Art of Crochet' from the Butterick Publishing Company cost 50 cents when it was published in 1891 and that is how much I paid for it last week. It doesn't have a cover at all, one page is torn, a few pages are dog-eared and there is a little bit of spotting but not bad for 143 pages of Victorian style crochet. I have done a bit of Googling on this book and discovered you can buy it in a newly printed format or pdf format in various places on the net but I am yet to find an original copy so I can see what the cover would have looked like. There are some fabulous items in this book ranging from clothing to household items and so many different crochet edged patterns and various techniques. This is my oldest book I own and what a good one to have. I do have a couple of old medical books from my grandparents with some weird and wonderful explanations for complaints and the remedies are pure poison in most cases, but it is fun to consult them when you need a home remedy!

Click on any of the pics for a closer and clearer peek at this 117 year old book.