Canal Crochet, Bonnets & Belts

The principal aim of the Waterways Museum Society (formerly Boat Museum Society) was the preservation of the historic boats, skills, knowledge and way of life of the waterways. The society founded the NorthWestern Museum of Inland Navigation in Ellesmere Port in 1971, to prevent the working craft and traditions of the waterways from disappearing. This developed into the National Waterways Museum, which preserves a nationally important collection of historic boats, artefacts and archives. It is operated by the Canal & River Trust to encourage the public to appreciate and treasure the canals, their traditional skills and way of life.

The Waterways Museum Society produced two booklets on cabin crochet, and these are brought together here,along with a pattern used by Rose Skinner, who, with husband Joe, operated mule-drawn boat Friendship, which is preserved in the Museum. Also included in this book are instructions for porthole crochet, and on how to make the traditional boatwoman's bonnet, and the spiderweb fabric belt often worn by the men.