I thought others might like to see this auction of Civil War kniting patterns from France.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item...ageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Wow, some of those are beautiful! Thanks for sharing that.

Just beautiful-would have to adjust for bigger waists than in those times.

These have some similarity to later Victorian patterns in Weldon's Practical Needlework which is reprinted in book form by Interweave Press. Some beautiful, come practical (Nancy Bush has adapted some sock patterns for current yarns), and some frightening.

Thanks for the link.

Lovely! Thanks for letting us see these.

Have you seen the book "Civil War Era Knit and Crochet Patterns" by DeAnn Upton, who used to be a regular presence on this board?

The designs are similar to the ones in the eBay lot, but the directions are written in modern terminology (and in English).

Here's a link:
http://www.lulu.com/Upton

I thought immediately of DeAnn when I saw this auction which is why I looked at it. They are fabulous, aren't they?