Knitting History Forum Conference 2025

Read the conference report by Johanna Gullback:

Abstracts

Knitting History in China: From Late 19th Century to Early 20th Century

Trista Yeung

This paper delves into the historical evolution of needlework in China from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, focusing on its economic and cultural impacts on Chinese women. The introduction of knitting machines to China in the 1910s marked a significant turning point. Initially, during the early Republican era, these machines were seldom found in regular households. However, much like in the West, they were soon marketed as profitable investments, even for housewives, promising the potential for home-based income. The arrival of circular knitting machines in China revolutionized the nature of garments worn by the Chinese population. Knitted garments became increasingly popular, particularly among the burgeoning middle class. This surge in popularity also sparked a new trend of hand-knitting as a leisure activity. Educated Chinese women in the late Qing dynasty were among the first to acquire hand-knitting skills. However, it was not until the early 20th century, with the widespread availability of knitting machines, that these skills became ubiquitous. Unlike their predecessors in late imperial China, who confined needlework to the private sphere, women in Republican China began to assert themselves in the male-dominated public sphere through knitting during a period of significant social upheaval. The establishment of knitting schools and the publication of knitting manuals provided new income opportunities for Chinese women. This shift allowed them to contribute economically and gain a measure of independence. Despite these advancements, needlework continued to be promoted as an avocational pursuit that expressed feminine moral virtues in both private and public contexts. This dual role of needlework—both as a means of economic empowerment and as a symbol of traditional feminine virtues—highlights the complex interplay between modernity and tradition in the lives of Chinese women during this transformative period.

The proof of the pattern is in the making: The technology of the crochet pattern in the 1840s and how I got on when I tried to use them.

Eleanor Gilchrist

It is clear to anyone that has learned to knit or crochet that reading a pattern is a skill, but how much thought is ever given by the maker to the skill required to write one. The written crochet pattern is a sophisticated technology. The writer must convey complex sequential information about actions to be performed on a three-dimensional object with only written words and perhaps an accompanying two-dimensional image. The earliest crochet patterns in English were published in the 1840s and over the course of this decade not only did the authors of these texts make significant innovations in crochet stitches, techniques and vocabulary, but collectively, through individual endeavour, they made important advances in the technology of the crochet pattern. It is worth noting that they began from a low base. Many of the early patterns were missing crucial information or included unclear instructions or errors, which mean that they would be difficult, if not impossible, to use, especially for a novice maker. When assessing the usability of these patterns, it was possible in most cases to determine just by reading them whether the patterns would ‘work’, but in a few cases it was necessary to attempt to use the patterns to see whether they would be more understandable if the part-made object was available to consult at each stage. In this paper I will use the process of making to illustrate the development of the crochet pattern over the 1840s. I will outline how I chose which patterns to tackle, how I sourced suitable tools and materials and what assumptions were made by the pattern writers about the knowledge of the maker. Lastly, I will reveal whether I successfully made any of the objects I attempted.

KnitWell: examining the use of a knitter’s vocabulary in capturing emotional state.

Emily Rickard

Framed as ‘KnitWell’, this practice-based, participatory and autoethnographic PhD research focused on the creative choices one can make within knitting as a means of capturing and expressing emotions. KnitWell involved the creation of a Daily Knit Journal (DKJ) that employed a ‘free knitting’ approach. In contrast with following a pattern, free knitting enables the knitter to freely discover the craft of knitting, by selecting yarn, colour, and stitch choice in an open-ended and creative way. This research investigated the potential benefits, opportunities, limitations and affordances that this recording method offers and considered the manner in which a knitted journal may generate benefits in terms of mental wellbeing.

The discussion will focus on one of the significant outcomes from the research: the knitter’s vocabulary. There is evidence that any knitter utilising the KnitWell method has two vocabularies; one that is written or spoken and one that is knitted. KnitWell participants are clear that there is an overriding difference between a knitter’s vocabulary and that of written language; for them it has the ability to be more expressive. Daily knit journalling has proven to be more instinctive, releasing participants from the need to verbalise thoughts and emotion, offering them a positive opportunity for self-expression. Nevertheless, there were differences in how participants expressed themselves; some made very direct correlations between their emotions and their knitting, others were more metaphorical with their choices. This evidenced the myriad opportunities for self-expression within a DKJ. Whether direct or metaphorical, the fluidity of knitting acted as a form of visual processing and self-expression. Overall, the physical act of knitting gave the knitter a space to process their emotions; it allowed them to capture their emotions – particularly via stitch and colour – and led to a mode of self-expression that felt authentic to the knitters.

(Re)Constructing the Ballybunion Knitted Cap: Providing a Glimpse into the Experiences, Skills, and Time Required in the Knitting of 16th Century Knitted Caps, utilising Experimental Archaeology.

Ryan Daniel Koenig

“He is of no account or estimation amongst men, if he have not a velvet or taffeta hat” (Stubbs, 1583; Quoted in Hayward, 2002; Quoted in Malcolm-Davies, 2016). In the 16th century, woollen knitted caps were seen as indicative garments of lower socioeconomic status (Hayward, 2002). Indeed, the Cappers Act of 1571, an Elizabethan sumptuary law, mandated that every person above the age of six years in England (excluding “Maids, Ladies, Gentlewomen, Noble Personages, and every Lord, Knight and Gentlemen of 20 Marks Land”) must wear on Sundays and holidays, “a Cap of Wool knit, thicked and dressed in England, made within this Realm, and only dressed and finished by some of the Trade of Cappers, upon pain to forfeit for every Day of not wearing three Shillings four Pence” (Victoria and Albert Museum, No Date) thus forcing people of lower socioeconomic status to wear wool knitted caps. Additionally, King Henry VIII, King of England, had bought two wool knitted caps in the first half of the 16th century (Malcolm-Davies, 2015), offering a complex dispersion into who the consumers of these knitted caps were. However, whilst we understand the wool knitted caps’ place in personal dress within society, the only echo of the 16th century cap knitters as garment works exists in the over 100 16th century knitted caps that have survived in the archaeological record.

This research sets out to investigate, through experimental archaeology, the working lives of these 16th century cap knitters by (re)constructing the Ballybunion Knitted Cap. This process provides a glimpse into the experiences, skills, and time which were required and aided the knitting of the 16th century caps. The experimental archaeology research was conducted with a research group of 22 participants, thanks to the funding received by the Vin Davis Bursary, and demonstrates clear insights into the experiences, skills, and time that would have likely been required and aided the 16th century cap knitters with their trade.

Bohus Stickning: A Network of Creativity

Isa Holmgren

This presentation investigates the creative process behind Bohus Stickning, a distinguished Swedish textile association founded in 1939 in Gothenburg. Established to address the economic hardships faced by women in Bohuslän, Bohus Stickning was launched by Emma Jacobsson and a group of prominent women from Gothenburg. What began as a producer of small knitted garments evolved over the next thirty years into an internationally acclaimed brand, known for its superior quality and innovative artistic expression.

This study explores the meaning of the creative process within Bohus Stickning by examining it as a network of actors, which can include both human and non-human entities. By mapping the framework of actors and networks involved, new actors significant to the organization have been identified, and new connections have been established. This investigative approach presents a chronological exploration of key actors who influenced the creative process, offering a contextualized understanding of how and why the process developed as it did.

The findings reveal that Emma Jacobsson, Bohus Stickning’s founder and creative director, significantly shaped the company’s direction and creative output. Her decision to steer Bohus Stickning towards a modern aesthetic, akin to continental fashion and art movements, established the organization’s unique brand identity. This modern approach, combined with exceptional craftsmanship from a highly skilled staff, distinguished Bohus Stickning from other Swedish textile producers and contributed to its global recognition.

The presentation will explore the vital role of internal collaborations and varying levels of expertise within Bohus Stickning, including how these factors influenced artistic expression and customer engagement. Comparative examples of other knitted garments will illustrate the distinctiveness of Bohus Stickning’s approach and how it has influenced or been emulated by other brands.

Finally, the presentation will address the critical aspect of technical execution and quality maintenance, which, despite being overshadowed by artistic achievements in recent years, was integral to Bohus Stickning’s success. The analysis will cover the sources of technical innovation and the organizational strategies employed to sustain high standards of craftsmanship and product quality over time.

Krystyna Chiger- The Girl in the Green Sweater

Elizabeth Baer

This presentation is drawn from a book I am currently completing on textile history. Entitled Closeknit: Intimate Portraits from the World of Knitting, the book also contains chapters on Elizabeth Zimmerman, Meg Swansen, Agatha Christie’s knitting detective Miss Marple, knitting retreats around the USA, a shepherd who dyes her yarn with salt water, a knitwear designer, interviews with owners of local yarn stores, and craftivism. In this talk for the Knitting History Forum, I will share the story of a green sweater worn by a young Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis during World War II. The sweater had been knit by her loving grandmother and the girl, Krystyna, wore it daily when her Polish family fled into the sewers of Lvov in 1943. There she lived with filth, rats, rushing water, darkness, and minimal supplies, for fourteen months. She survived this gruelling experience as did the beloved sweater. When Krystyna Chiger grew up, she wrote a memoir entitled The Girl in the Green Sweater (New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2008). Krystyna, whose “American” name is Christine Keren, donated the sweater to The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. where I work as a volunteer. I have had the privilege of visiting the Museum Archives to see the sweater, examine it, learn about it from the archivist, and photograph it, and I will be sharing these photos in my talk. I will also be drawing from other sources—including a history of Krystyna’s family’s ordeal, and a film depicting the fourteen underground months. In a gesture of remembrance and generosity, Dr. Lea Stern, an expert knitter, spent hours at the museum with the sweater, recreating the pattern, which is available on Ravelry. This, too, will be included in my talk!

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