Jane Austen

A lot of us are reading Jane Austen this year, so I thought I'd start a thread for her books.

I'm reading Persuasion. I just watched the BBC version, and I'm happy to report that the book satisfies all the complaints I had about the video.

I am interested in various forms of needlework, so the following irritated me.

In Persuasion Vol. 1, chapter 11 Austen writes:

Captain Benwick fashioned new netting-needles and pins with improvements.

I'm reading the Penguin Classics edition with end notes, and the numbers keep distracting me, so I looked this one up:

Possibly netting: 'a course network of ropes...for stowing hammocks and sails' (OED); more probably, in the context, knitting needles, or needles for mending fishing nets.

I have Warren and Pullman 'Treasures in Needlework' (1870) in facsimile, and, as I thought, netting is quite distinct from knitting. I found both references to knitting pins and needles there. On the other hand, netting is done with needles and a 'mesh', which, however can be similar to knitting needles. I wish I had a reference book closer to Austen's time to check the terminology.

BTW, fancywork netting developed out of the fishing net stitches.

I have an entire category for Jane Austen, as I've never read her before. I will read some or all of her novels, plus a few related fiction or non-fiction choices. I started 2009 with Emma. So far, I am enjoying it.

MarthaJeanne, you are right. I am lucky to have some early 1920s filet netting crafted by a great aunt and it was definitely not knitted.

Filet netting is typically done with fine linen thread. It's an open mesh embroidered with decorative designs. To do filet netting, you anchor one end of your thread to a weighted cushion with a pin and manipulate a shuttle wound with thread around a gauge stick (which looks suspiciously like a knitting needle) to create the mesh. Once the mesh is completed, you embroider it, winding thread through the mesh, with a flexible needle.

I'm sure filet netting was derived from fishing nets and hammocks, but what I'm thinking the book refers to is a much more delicate craft. Filet crochet was considered (at least by my grandmother) to be a less desirable knockoff of true filet netting.

All the Jane Austen readers in this challenge (not to metion all the recent movies about reading JA) have me reconsidering my categories ...

I'm planning on finished out her collection this year by reading Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Mansfield Park.

I think she has a couple other hard to find books, like Lesley Castle, I would love to read, but I may not get around to them this year.

I also am hoping to read the rest of her novels. I've read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I loved them both. For one of my classes I will be reading Persuasion, so I figured that it wouldn't be too difficult to finish off the rest of her work this year! So excited!

Sounds like 2009 is going to be a Jane Austen kind of year for some of us!

blondierocket, Lesley Castle is in print - I read the Hesperus Press edition last year for my 888 Challenge.

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MarthaJeanne - on the subject of filet netting: How does that differ from tatting? My grandmother did tatting and it sounds very similar. Lots and lots of antimacassars (sp?) resulted. Which is my Mom strongly discouraged my learning. She hated them. I have the tortoise shell shuttle around somewhere.

Tatting uses thread and a shuttle or needle to create the design as you go along. For net fillet you first create the net the size and shape you want then you go back and do the weaving. These days we cheat and use nylon net or tulle as our base for fine lace. We also use rug canvas for larger pieces like rugs and mats.

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Thanks. BTW. I plan to take the pieces my grandmother made and my mother hated and get them framed. Some of the work is amazing.

I've seen some amazing pieces. The thread was so fine compared to what we have now. I've been needle tatting for 8 years now and still can't create some of those older designs. Make sure you have a professional do your framing to protect your pieces.

And not just a framing professional. Someone who knows about vintage textiles. Ask them what they are going to do, and if acid-free doesn't come up right away, look for someone else.

I would love to learn either netting or tatting, but need a teacher. I have learned most of my fibre crafts from books, but these two I can't manage that way. (Edited to say the netting part. The embroidery part afterwards isn't the problem.)

I've tried netting on a larger scale hoping that it would be easier. But it wasn't. I have to use nylon net or tulle. I haven't been able to do tatting with a shuttle, just a needle. Both of my Grandmothers felt needlework was the mark of a gentlewomen. One told me "Any women can clean and make a pot of soup. It takes a lady to do fine needle work." So I, crochet, knit, tat, sew, do crewel, petite-point, gos-point, needle point, ribbon, candlewicking etc... (started learning when I was 5 I'm 50 now).

I've done various kinds of needlework as long as I can remember, at least as long as you. I'm so amazed that the younger women don't seem to be interested. I just saw a lovely exhibit of historical vestments - mostly 18th century goldwork. Now that's needlework! I can do that, too, but not that beautifully or in such quantities.

Goldwork, I've never found the opportunity to do that. My grandmother took me with her once when some ladies from the church were working on a large piece. I got to watch but wasn't skilled enough to be allowed to work. It is such a shame that the art of needlework is dying out. You can't even find good patterns these days. Every thing has been so simplfied that not only is there no challenge it's not as pretty.

I received the Easton Press editions of Jane Austen's 6 novels for Christmas from my husband and daughter (husband paid for them and daughter wrapped and created treasure hunt for them.) They hold pride of place in my library (see my profile photo - they're on the shelf by themselves).

I didn't make a category for Jane Austen for a variety of reasons (only 6 books, didn't want to fill with other fiction or biographies) so added 3 of the 4 other Easton Press books I have to make the challenge.

I'm going to read them in this order:

Sense and Sensibility
Pride and Prejudice
Northanger Abbey
Mansfield Park
Emma
Persuasion

They will all be re-reads but I haven't read them in so long, and never in such beautiful editions, that I feel sure it will be almost like a brand new experience.

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Grandmothers have changed and so has respect for family cultural history in many cases. I did my first embroidery when I was five. The kit came as a birthday present from my grandmother. Mom did everything but the cross-stiches, but I did them. And then my grandmother tatted a lace edge for the piece, which I still have 51 years later, although I would NOT frame and hang it. I don't have time these days (love my job) but I will take it up again when I retire. For me, handwork is to some extent about my mother and grandmother. And I am the last in my line of descent to have learned these skills or to care. Sad that.

-17 I'm not too old (mid-20's) and I sew and cross-stitch. I decided I wanted a tapestry (years ago!) and have been working on this massive cross-stitch ever since. Gives me something to do while I'm watching movies and such like.

I know there are a few young women carrying the tradition on, but my feeling is that fewer, many fewer do it now. (I've taught a few myself.) It's also getting harder to get materials. In the past ten years most of the good needlework shops in Vienna have closed. Even shops with a good turnover have not been able to find someone to carry on when the owners have decided to retire. And you can't really blame women in their 70's for thinking that it is time to take a rest.

I have no daughters myself, but I have a son who knits (which he taught himself at a time when I didn't. I've just learned again, I think for the third time, and I think it finally caught.) All my boys have done some embroidery, but I don't think any of them do it today.

Just finished Emma - my first Jane Austen and first book of 2009. I really enjoyed it. I won't go into details, since I'm sure there are people following this thread who will be reading it this year. I'm going to switch to another category for a bit, then I may tackle Pride and Prejudice. We've got the movie on the DVR, so I can also use it for my books made into movies category.

On the needlework subject, I cross-stitch and crochet. I've thought about knitting, but I'll put that on hold for now. I've got enough hobbies! I hope some day my daughter gets interested. Knitting in particular is, I think, starting to gain back some popularity.

I plan on finishing off the Jane Austen collection in 2009 by reading Mansfield Park and Emma this year. I'm reading Emma right now and am enjoying it.

I am going to attempt to read all 7 of the novels in The Complete Novels of Jane Austen for my Classics category. I began with Pride and Prejudice which I finished last week, and I'm now about half-way through Sense and Sensibility. I think I might take a break then and come back to Ms Austen later in the year. I loved Pride and Prejudice, and while I am enjoying Sense and Sensibility, it's not capturing my interest quite as much.

All this talk of needlework would make me want to get out my knitting needles except it's very hot right now in Australia!

I watch the BBC miniseries of Pride and Predjudice regularly. (It's one of the videos I use to keep myself ironing.) I had heard interesting things about the movie with Keira Knightley, and wanted to see it, so we bought the DVD at Christmas. I watched about half an hour last night before my son called to be picked up. I was not at all happy with it, and now I have started rereading the book. So far BBC wins hands down, in terms of following the book.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not I should try to perservere with the DVD? I'm tempted to just abandon it.

I think the main problem about the film is that time constraints meant that they had to cut so much. I felt that the film missed out a lot of the side stories, e.g. Bingley and Jane. This is why I have no real desire to watch the new Brideshead Revisited film, a mini series is just better when it comes to books such as these. Recently saw Lost in Austen, about a bank teller who ends up inside Pride and Prejudice. Amusing enough Sunday evening viewing, if not a bit fluffy.

Am reading Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey as part of my 999 challenge. I have 2 categories they could go in - 1001 books or British Authors.

Hm. British Authors. I already filled up 'other fiction', maybe British authors would be a good way of clearing that out. P&P goes into classics, though.

Even the mini series has cut several good scenes, even as far as I have gotten so far.

I rarely watch movies of books I enjoy. But the BBC has done such a good job with the various Austen mini-series! I thought I would enjoy a different protrayal of Jane and Lizzy, but so far I can't say I have gotten any idea of who the movie thinks they are. Guess I'll give it up. One P&P DVD available in Vienna.

>23 MarthaJeanne: Since you've got it, I'd say finish it--bet you already have! ;-) But I know what you mean! When you know a book really well, all the missing parts are so glaring. Plus, this movie reminded me of how much I visualize a book (the setting as much as the characters) as I read it--and how jarring/wrong a movie can feel for that reason alone.

Edited for 1 misspelling, don't tell me if there's more!

No, I haven't. It's just too painful, and I'm enjoying the book too much. As far as the characters/setting go, I'm not sure how much of the jarring is due to knowing the BBC version so well, and how much is really that it doesn't fit the book. My impression is that they overdid their settings.

I gave up on the keira version. I was told by several that I didn't miss anything and would have just wasted my time.

Have now read the 2 Austens on my list - Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park. Of the two, I preferred Northanger Abbey as it was less 'busy' than Mansfield Park, I mean the plot was simpler in some ways. I felt that MP needed editing at times.

MarthaJeanne - I personally dislike the Keira Knightly version of P&P. I thought Knightly was miscast and of course trying to make it into a 2+ hour film doesn't do it justice. Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennett was awful too. Mr. Bennett was not slovenly. I think they misinterpreted the "class" of the Bennetts - they were more gentrified than this movie has them. Plus, the well-endowed hog running through the kitchen was so definitely off that I couldn't believe that was in the movie. Not a movie for comic relief - the comedy is in the story and language itself.

I got beautiful Easton Press hardcover versions of the 6 novels for Christmas and have them in a category with other Easton Press books for the 999 challenge. I haven't started one yet but plan to this month. I was going to read them in publication order, but now am not sure. Since I love P&P so much, I might save it for last.

Having finished rereading the book, I'm going to stick with my BBC videos as long as they and my video player hold out (just got a new one, but it was hard). The Keira Knightly DVD will get added to the box of give aways. I see no reason to finish watching it.

I have seen both the BBC version and the Keira Knightly and have to say that BBC wins hands down. I agree that the movie version portrayed the Bennetts as much more lowly than they really are. Besides, Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy. Nobody can compete with that...

Also, Pride and Prejudice is the only one of Austen's books that I've read (twice). I am going to read at least one other of hers for the 999 challenge. Probably Emma or Persuasion or maybe both.

Back to the netting. I was at a medieval festival today, and watched a woman doing netting. This was not to be embroidered on later, but for making a hair net. The netting was squares a bit smaller than 1 cm on a side. She had three different sticks in use. The first one was a fancy turned piece of wood that was attached to a hook away from her, and had a string attached to both ends holding the work. The second was parallel to that nearer to her, and was the gauge to make the new row the right size. The third had the thread on it and had some sort of arrangement to release thread when needed, and was narrow enough to pass through the previous row of squares.

Mansfield Park

I'm not sure I had ever read this before. I am very familiar with the BBC videos. I think now that they are not as well done as P&P. The book is much better, and I'm not sure I agree with the way many of the characters were played. But I'm very sure I will continue to love the videos, and that because, however dimly, they reflect this very well written book.