In 2012 the ASC Celebrated its 175th Anniversary
But do they sew?
Members of the Circle and their husbands answer this question.
To celebrate the Annisquam Sewing Circle on its 175th Anniversary a delightful evening was held in the Village Hall with delicious food and this entertaining skit.
1837 – 2012 The longest, continuously meeting Sewing Circle on Cape Ann
Fishermen’s Woolen Nippers
Earlier members of the Annisquam Sewing Circle knit nippers like this pair.
Fishermen working trawl lines in the 19th century often suffered cuts and rope burns on their hands. They typically wore mittens or gloves to protect themselves when hauling the long lines aboard and removing the fish. These sturdy but soft rings, called nippers, are knitted of woolen yarn and stuffed with more wool. They would have fit around a fisherman’s palms, protecting his hands while his fingers remained free for tasks requiring dexterity.
These nippers were probably made in Gloucester, Mass., for use by local fishermen working on offshore schooners. The shallow, fertile banks stretching from Georges Bank east of Nantucket to the Grand Bank off Newfoundland, Canada, were prime fishing areas for Gloucestermen. Cod, haddock, and halibut were the principal species caught by fishermen working aboard schooners in these waters in the late 19th century.
These nippers were among the fishermen’s clothing, tools, and apparatus featured by the United States in the 1883 International Fisheries Exhibition in London.
- ID Number:
- AG*102074
- Place Made:
- Gloucester, Massachusetts
- Material:
- woolen
- Date:
- 1880s
- Dimensions:
- 5 in x 3.365 x 1.7717; 12.7mm x 85 x 45 mm
- Source:
- U.S. Fish Commission
Preparing for a Nor’easter
Let it snow, let it snow… Twenty-four inches in twenty-four hours are predicted.
In the meantime, there are rumors that a Talent Show is in the works. This photograph is from an earlier time when the Talent Show was held in the Village Hall. Recognize any of the performers?
The Annisquam Sewing Circle Feeds the Members of the Leonard Club
The ladies of the Sewing Circle use to prepare and serve a dinner to the men of the Leonard Club.
At a meeting of the ASC Grace Tomlinson Murray, a long-time member shared her memories of an unforgettable evening.
Knitting on the right! Knitting on the left!
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/29/how-politics-tested-ravelry-and-the-crafting-community
From the “Annisquam Village Cookbook” 1945 edition
Resource for Knitters
Found a new knitting pattern but having difficulty figuring out the language?
You might find your answers here:
Knitting Abbreviations
Knit Chart Symbols
Knitting – How to Read Pattern
Cry Baby Cookies & More
7th Century A.D. – The earliest cookie-style cakes are thought to date back to 7th century Persia A.D. (now Iran), one of the first countries to cultivate sugar (luxurious cakes and pastries in large and small versions were well known in the Persian empire). According to historians, sugar originated either in the lowlands of Bengal or elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Sugar spread to Persia and then to the Eastern Mediterranean. With the Muslim invasion of Spain, then the Crusades and the developing spice trade, the cooking techniques and ingredients of Arabia spread into Northern Europe.
Cookies as we know them in America were originally brought to the United States by our English, Scottish, and Dutch immigrants. Earlier names for cookies such as Snickerdoodles and Cry Babies originated with the New England states. Even with its early history, cookies did not become popular until about a hundred years ago.
From: What’s Cooking America- History of Cookies
Cry Baby Cookies
epicurious.com – recipes – /cry-babies
These molasses cookies are a family tradition. Frost with buttercream frosting in the color of your choice when just warm enough to melt the frosting; if you frost them too soon the frosting will run.