Harness, child's

This child’s harness, also known as a restraint or reins, was made in about 1900. It is hand-knitted in shades of red and pink wool and has five bells attached to the front panel.
 
Walking harnesses or restraints became popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when parents were concerned about keeping their children safe in an expanding urban environment with increasing traffic. Harnesses were considered to be an acceptable way of keeping children nearby.

An additional bonus with this particular example was that it provided entertainment as well. In the ‘Weldon’s Practical Knitter’ where a pattern for this harness was printed the introduction states, ‘These reins are quickly and easily knitted and afford a great deal of amusement to children, besides being capital exercise’.