2 The DMC Company - you can find out more here.

1 The Weldon Series

In 1885,Weldon’s a paper pattern company in England began to publish a knitting series that included many techniques and patterns. Known as the 'Practical Knitter Series' these monthly newsletters were available on subscription. They were made up of fourteen pages featuring many different  patterns but generally devoted to one technique only. These became very popular then, as well as today.

Around 1888 the company [through various demands] began to publish these newsletters combining twelve at a time. These were then known as 'Weldon's Practical Needlework' publications

Below is a list of 'Weldon's Practical Needlework' the first  eight volumes that include 'Weldon's Practical Knitter Series'.

Volume
Practical Knitter Series
1
1,2,3,4,
2
5,6
3
7,8,9
4
10,11
5
12,13,14,15
6
16,17,18
7
19,20,21
8
22,23,24

The DMC Business

You can read about the history of the DMC company here.