It’s not too late to join us for the KHF Conference 2015, on Saturday 14th November 2015, at the London College of Fashion. Tickets available at the door or reserve in advance via the website. See Knitting History Forum Conference 2015 all the details and to book your ticket.
A quick reminder that this year’s KHF annual AGM and Conference is on Saturday 14th November 2015. The venue is the London College of Fashion on John Prince’s Street, just off Oxford Street and easily accessible by Tube or bus.
The Knitting History Conference is open to anyone. You don’t have to be a member to attend. Tickets will be available for purchase in advance or on the door, but are included in the annual KHF membership fee, still only £15. The papers are wide-ranging and thought-provoking – see a list of past speakers and their papers – and the conversation stimulating. The line-up is yet to be confirmed but details will be posted here in due course. Book Saturday 14th November in your diaries now!
The European Textile Forum is being held again in Germany this November. The theme for 2015 is “Non-Woven Textile Structures”, a topic covering a broad range of textile techniques such as braiding, netting, nalbinding and of course, knitting. This year’s speakers include Jane Malcolm-Davies and Ruth Gilbert.
The European Textile Forumallows textile professionals, historians and textile workers with no academic background to explore and discuss early textiles. The programme usually includes a mixture of academic and practical presentations – in 2009 they ran a practical experiment testing the influence of spindle whorl, fibre and spinner on spinning. In 2015 the following presentations will be included (in no particular order):
The conference runs from 2-8 November 2015 at the Laboratory for Experimental Archaeology in Mayen, Germany, the experimental archaeology research center of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum (RGZM). On-site accomodation at the Laboratory is restricted and the conference can only accomodate a few more delegates but spaces are available. Please visit the European Textile Forum website for more information and to register for a place.
Another great day at our annual KHF AGM and Conference on Saturday, with a broad range of topics and plenty of discussion! Angharad Thomas took us on a tour through the history of two-colour glove-knitting, starting right from the earliest nalbindning examples in only one colour, presenting her conclusions so far. Tom van Deijnen introduced us to different methods of repairing knitting and wowed us with his meticulous mending skills, including a jumper repair commissioned by the Knitting and Crochet Guild. Amy Twigger Holroyd recapped the last ten years’ development of ‘Keep & Share’, the experimental knitwear label and open craft practice, impressing us with her beautiful knitting and thoughtful approach to her work. Barbara Smith shared her research on knitting and crochet in Britain and the Empire during the First World War, revealing some surprising facts and surviving items including some which can be matched to patterns in wartime magazines.
Joyce Meader showed us a small portion of her collection, a veritable treasure trove of knitting and crochet patterns for the armed forces from the 1800s to now, with remarkable garments she reproduced from them. Our progress was recorded at the AGM with lively debate and fresh ideas for moving onwards and upwards. Look out for some interesting events next year!
A big thank you to our wonderful speakers for their inspiring and intriguing talks. Thank you also to Professor Sandy Black, Tricia Basham and all involved in organising the event, for making the day so enjoyable. And finally thanks to everyone who brought open minds, interesting questions, stimulating conversation – and their knitting!
Here’s a taste of the event in pictures, from our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.746156772144413.1073741827.338624112897683&type=1&l=835323cc2b
In the Loop 4 will be held 26-28 August 2015 at the University of Glasgow, in association with the School of Humanities and the ‘Knitting in the Round’ project. It is intended to reflect the place of Scotland in the history of knitting and the city of Glasgow in the world of fashion.
In the Loop is a series of interdisciplinary and international conferences on knitting and crochet. 2015 sees the fifth to be held so far (the numbering is correct, the fourth conference in 2013 was In the Loop 3.5). Professor Sandy Black, Knitting History Forum’s Chair, was keynote speaker at the first conference and the following events have featured an impressive array of speakers and topics.
The Call for Papers for next year invites proposals for papers and poster presentations on the theme “From Craft to Couture”, encompassing the range of applications of knitting (and crochet) in the past, present and future and in a variety of contexts. Applications are encouraged from all “practitioners, academics and researchers, designers, makers, artists, technicians, those working at home, in business and industry, education, archives, libraries and museums.” The deadline is 15 January 2015.
See more at the University of Glasgow site.
A Call for Papers has been issued for a two-day conference hosted by The Museum of London in September next year. ‘The Look of Austerity’ will “explore the effect of post-war austerity on the appearance of people and cities… ‘The Look of Austerity aims to re-examine the post-war period, looking at the changing meaning and the face of austerity and exploring the real implications of austerity policies and culture on sartorial aesthetics. Focusing on the immediate post-war period, specifically the years 1945-1951, we invite papers that examine the popular experience of obtaining and wearing clothes throughout the western world during these turbulent and changing times, exploring the often overlooked areas of ready-to-wear innovation, international dialogues, and approaches that look beyond some of the popular myths of post-war fashion.”
The conference will take place at the Museum of London, on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 September 2015. Presentations are invited of 20 to 25 minutes’ duration – material culture and interdisciplinary contributions are particularly encouraged. Topics for discussion may include:
The effects of war did not end immediately in 1945. In Britain clothes rationing lasted until 1949 while rationing only ended altogether in 1954. The ‘Make Do And Mend’ mentality of the war years continued long after, as Europe began the slow process of rebuilding. Knitting played vital part in the budgets of many households and really should be represented appropriately by a paper at this conference. So put on your [knitted] thinking caps!
The deadline for submission of proposals is Monday 27 October 2014. Further information is on the Museum of London website, where you can also download a copy of the Call For Papers.
