Image: at the Knitting History Forum conference on Saturday 1 February 2025 Elizabeth Baer will discuss Krystyna Chiger’s green sweater, now at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC
The Knitting History Forum is pleased to announce that the next annual conference is on Saturday 1 February 2025, with presentations on the history of knitting and crochet.
We have an exciting programme of speakers lined up for the online event:
Elizabeth Baer – A green sweater worn by a young Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis
Eleanor Gilchrist – The technology of the crochet pattern in the 1840s
Isa Holmgren – The creative process at Bohus Stickning, a Swedish textile association founded in 1939
Ryan Koenig – A reconstruction of the 16th century knitted cap from Ballybunion
Emily Rickard – A knitter’s vocabulary in capturing their emotional state
Trista Yeung – The historical development of knitting in China in the late 19th century and early 20th century
The Knitting History Forum is an international network for the history of knitting and crochet. KHF advances and promotes the history of knitting through research, exchange of ideas and information, and by historical reconstruction. Bookmark the KHF website!
Knitting History Forum/Early Knitting History Group Reconstruction Knitted Sanquhar Glove courtesy of Kirstie Buckland. PLEASE DO NOT USE IMAGE WITHOUT PERMISSION
The Knitting History Forum would like YOU to presentat next year’s conference – or in the future.
We are always very happy to have 20-minute talks on all sorts of topics – academic, personal, emotional – let us know what you would like to share with the KHF community.
Send us a 350 word proposal suggesting your subject with some details of what you will cover in your presentation with a photograph to illustrate it and a photograph of yourself. Please add an identifying caption for the image with any credits which are required. We also need a statement that you are willing to be recorded so that we can make the conference available online after the event (to ticketholders only).
We don’t receive many suggestions so don’t be shy! We will be delighted to hear what you can present.
Or – maybe you can recommend a speaker and ask them to send us their ideas for a talk.
Save The Date! Knitting History Forum is pleased to announce the next annual KHF Conference will be online on Saturday 1 February 2025.
Would you like to give a presentation at the conference next year? We have already lined up some interesting presentations but the KHF committee is still inviting contributions. Please send a title and short description (350 words) to KHF chair, Sandy Black, at s.black@fashion.arts.ac.uk or fellow committee member Jane Malcolm-Davies at jane@jmdandco.com. All presenters will be asked to provide an abstract and photographs – one of themselves and at least one illustrating the topic of their talk to promote the event. Add an identifying caption for the image with any credits which are required. In addition, all presenters must record their talk in advance so that there is a backup of reasonable quality to use on the day of the conference, if necessary, and so we can make the conference available online after the event (to ticketholders only behind, a password).
Subscribe to the Knitting History Forum’s newsletter to keep in touch and hear what is happening. Don’t forget the free KHF online discussion group is available to discuss ideas for the conference or stay in touch with friends and delegates between conferences (either log in or register as a new member). After you’ve logged in, use the options in the sidebar to select how to receive messages at your convenience.
New submissions are always welcome and we invite you to contact us as soon as possible.
The Knitting History Forum digital conference of 2024 took off at 11:15 GMT on Saturday 3 February with about 170 excited participants (with 250 tickets sold!), ready behind their screens with knitting projects for a day of research about knitting, yarn and even some crochet. Participants listened from all over the world, some even tuning in from Australia despite of, for them, the very early hour. Chair of Knitting History Forum and host for the event, Professor Sandy Black, welcomed everyone, and together with KHF team member I N Eliatamby she presented the event’s speakers and moderated questions put in the chat by the participants.
The speakers, both academics and freelance researchers, presented a wide range of interesting papers on various topics related to knitting research. As Sandy Black pointed out, practical experience and methodology are important research tools, something that was clearly reflected in the papers. There was a high interest from the participants, and the chat was alive with questions and comments.
Beatrice Behlen, senior curator of the Museum of London started the day with her paper A royal waistcoat re-examined about something of a knitting celebrity, the silk waistcoat that Charles I supposedly wore when he was beheaded in 1649. Together with researcher Jane Malcolm-Davies and a team of fibre and knitting experts, they had re-investigated the famous waistcoat inside and out. Behlen discussed what types of modern technology and research methods from the natural sciences such as microfadometry and dye analysis could be used, and what they can and can’t answer. The projects aim to combine these methods with archival research, visual investigations and reconstruction practices to further investigate the waistcoats possibly rather morbid past. The aim is also to find ways to communicate this to a wider audience, and to use citizen scientists to be able to run reconstructive experiments on a larger scale.
Independent scholar Lesley O’Connell Edwards then presented her paper When there are no words: using reconstruction as a tool for understanding the creation of knitted liturgical gloves. All over Europe, there are many examples of liturgical gloves, skilfully knitted in silk and metal threads, some of which have intarsia motifs on the front. In an online database within a database called Holy Hands, most of the gloves are collected, and it is possible to compare them to one another. In her paper, O’Connell discussed the process of using reconstruction as a research tool to investigate the knitters as makers and how these gloves were constructed. She talked through what is needed for this kind of research, such as access to the actual garments or high resolution images and how to make samples.
For a researcher it is really annoying when a book or article doesn’t provide any information on its sources. That could lead to a lot of unanswered questions, but it could also lead to a Sherlock-esque investigation in the hunt for answers. That is where it led Sally Kentfield, independent scholar [and also a KHF team member], when she started to wonder about some information left out of Richard Rutt’s A history of hand knitting. Kentfield presented her detective work in a paper called The lost biography of Frances Lambert, taking us through the steps she took to find answers. With a deep dive into digital and physical archives, and by using digital humanities techniques such as corpus analysis, she showed how this kind of investigation can be conducted. She followed the traces of Lambert through the various archives, and pointed out how digitalisation can be a great help.
There was a refreshment break mid-forum, with breakout rooms in which the participants had a chance to get to know one another and have further discussions on knitting, crocheting and other yarn-related issues.
After the break, Dr Marketta Luutonen explored the Korsnäs sweaters in her paper The fascinating Korsnäs Sweater. This sweater, originating from Korsnäs at the Ostrobotnian coast of Finland, is made by a combination of crochet and knitting. Originally made for men it seems to date back to the late half of the 19th century, but is today made for everyone. With its colourful motifs and patterning, the sweater has been a strong symbol for the rural area of Korsnäs throughout the 20th century, and its design elements are re-used as commercial elements. In her research on the relationship between human beings and products of knitting and crocheting, Luutonen notes that the design aspects of the sweater often have been more in focus then the material ones such as warmth. She has studied the process in which meaning is assigned to the Korsnäs sweater, and how its meaning to the people of Korsnäs has changed over time – from a warm, nice-looking garment to a connection to their cultural heritage and past.
Dr Katrin Kania, a freelance textile archaeologist and reconstruction practitioner, then examined yarn used for knitting for historical reconstructions and how the way that yarn is spun will have an impact on the end result. In her paper Yarns for knitting – the influence of twist she talked us through the various steps one needs to consider in choosing a yarn for a reconstruction project, such as the difference between knitting and weaving yarns, how twist influences the end result, the magic of plying and the importance of using a distaff when spinning. She also discussed tools and how much of a difference using modern tools and spinning techniques makes to the end result. Her conclusions? Well, as Kania said in her presentation – its complicated.
Last but not least was Dr Jennifer Daley who took us on a trip to the Shetland Isles and its colourful knitting traditions. Her paper, Past and present knitters on Fair Isle: a case study of Fair isle knitted fishermen’s keps was presented as a recording, but Daley was still present and available to answer questions. By investigating the making of the hats, or keps, used by fishermen, Daley studied Fair Isle knitting and the changing traditions that surrounds it. Knitted with stranded knitting, the keps incorporate several colours and patterns that would be combined based on the knitters’ preferences and skills. To preserve the cultural heritage connected to the knitting, the Fair Isle knitters only consider items knitted with 100% Shetland wool, using no more than two colours each row and traditional designs as “official” Fair isle knitting. The habit of selling the knitted goods to tourists is still alive, even if a lot of the knitted keps sold are now made on knitting machines.
Julia Holm, PhD Candidate in Textile Studies, Uppsala University
Cary Karp, Sandy Black, Lorna Hamilton-Brown and Ellie Reed at the KHF AGM & Conference 2018
The KHF committee is pleased to announce the next annual Knitting History Forum Conference will be online on Saturday 3 February 2024.
Anyone who has a suggestion for a presentation they would like to hear or to give at the conference is welcome to contact the committee. Please send a title and short description (maximum 150 words) by contacting KHF chair, Sandy Black, at s.black@fashion.arts.ac.uk or fellow committee member Jane Malcolm-Davies at jane@jmdandco.com. All presenters will be asked to provide an abstract and photographs – one of themselves and at least one illustrating the topic of their talk to promote the event. In addition, all presenters must record their talk in advance so that there is a backup of reasonable quality to use on the day of the conference, if necessary.
Don’t forget the free online discussion group is available to discuss ideas for the conference at the KHF online discussion group (either log in or register as a new member).
The committee will decide the theme of the day based on the contributions they receive. We really do welcome submissions and invite you to contact us as soon as possible. Whether you have an idea you would like to submit, are working on new research or have never presented at a conference before, this is your chance to step forward!
Knitting History Forum/Early Knitting History Group Reconstruction Knitted Sanquhar Glove courtesy of Kirstie Buckland. PLEASE DO NOT USE IMAGE WITHOUT PERMISSION
This year’s Knitting History Forum (KHF) digital conference took place on Saturday 28 January, starting at 11:15 CTE. Professor Sandy Black, chair of KHF, welcomed everyone and encouraged the participants from all corners of the world to knit while listening, to everyone’s delight. The conference provided the near 200 participants with some very interesting papers on new research concerning knitting practices and the social and historical contexts of knitting. Participants were asked to put their questions in the chat to be moderated by morning and afternoon hosts Sally Kentfield and Sandy Black. It was clear from the number of questions that the papers generated a lot of thoughts and insights. The conference had two breaks, which of the longer one had well-attended themed breakout rooms for discussions, including one for socialising.
Kristi Jõeste from Viljandi Culture Academy, University of Tartu, Estonia, gave the first presentation on the Reconstructing Estonian mittens and gloves heritage from the insider’s perspective: problems and outcomes. Jõeste is a researcher of knitted items from Estonia, mainly mittens and gloves, and also educates students in traditional crafts. She is the author of the books Estonian Knitting 1: traditions and Techniques and Estonian Knitting 3: mittens. In her paper, she discussed using close examination and experimental practice-based research methods while studying knitted garments in museum storage. She explained she brings her own needles with her as a research tools while documenting a museum piece in order to be able to try out a new stitch. Jõeste also talked about the problems with modern reconstructions, and that exact replicas are hard to achieve due to changes in wool quality and practices. We also learnt a little about the evolution of design and shape in Estonian knitted mittens during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
Hélène Magnússon is a tour guide in Iceland, a knitwear designer, and author of several books on Icelandic knitting, including Icelandic handknits. In her presentation, Icelandic knitting traditions, she gave a walk-through the knitting history of Iceland, and how knitting practices changed with developments in national and international politics. She also told us what kind of items were knitted and how Icelandic people used different parts of the fleece for different purposes to use all its characteristics to the full. Magnússon also touched on how some Icelandic knitting traditions are closely connected to Iceland’s tourism business, such as the popular Lópi sweater that was commercialised in the 1950s.
Irene Waggener is an independent researcher and author from Armenia who presented her paper Keepers of the sheep:Knitting in Morocco’s High Atlas and Beyond based on her research for her book of the same name. She talked us through her experience in using participant observation to research knitting methods, patterns and practices among goat herders in the Moroccan High Atlas area. North Africa is, as Waggener states, an area that has been under-researched when it comes to textile practices such as knitting, despite there being several historical knitted items from the region in museums all over the globe – some being considered almost compulsory parts of knitting history. Waggener proposed several possibilities in connecting the history of these antique pieces and the knitting done by the men she studied, and pointed out some possible future research areas.
Frankie Owens is a knitting practitioner who, in a recorded presentation, gave a demonstration of Knitting the Peruvian way: traditions. She showed us Peruvian knitting practices such as how the knitters tension the yarn around their necks when knitting with several colours at once. She also spoke about the hooked knitting needles used for knitting in the Andes, how to fashion them from bicycle spokes, and how to use them. Owens also discussed how knitting had developed in the Andes after being introduced by the conquistadors in the 16th century.
Last and definitely most colourful came Cynthia LeCount Samaké who presented her paper Andean Knitting update: stunning synthetics of Peru and Bolivia, and made a stand for acrylic knitting yarn. She took us on a journey through Peru and Bolivia, explaining knitting traditions and practices, and discussed the practicalities of using acrylic yarn. The participants also followed her on a journey through Peruvian and Bolivian knitting fashions considering the creative ways of patterning the pieces used by the knitters, which include anything which takes their fancy in the moment. This includes traditional patterns and religious motifs but also images connected to the everyday world such as boxers, motorbikes and comic figures.
Thanks to Knitting History Forum’s committee and Jodie Cox for her technical support during the day. It was a very enjoyable programme and I for one look forward to the next KHF event!
Julia Holm, PhD Candidate in Textile Studies, Uppsala University
Mittens from Põltsamaa, Estonia. Photo by Kristi Jõeste. Used by permission.
You may appreciate further information about the speakers at the 2023 Knitting History Forum Conference. This year we will look at knitting traditions from different parts of the world and we hope this will encourage further study of the history of knitting and crochet in areas which have not been well-documented. All of our speakers are involved in the research or teaching of knitting from distinctive textile cultures.
Kristi Jõeste lectures on Estonian Native Textiles at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy. She researches and publishes books and articles such as Estonian Knitting: Tradition and Techniques, and Estonian Knitting: Mittens. Kristi leads workshops internationally, and has staged several exhibitions of Estonian mittens and gloves. Kristi is on Instagram @kristijoeste
Hélène Magnússon is an Icelandic/French designer, giving new life to Icelandic knitting traditions. She is the author of many books about Icelandic knitting and her patterns are published in magazines, books and on her website. A former shepherd and mountain guide, Hélène has created her own range of Icelandic yarns, and also runs knitting and hiking tours of Iceland. Hélène is on Instagram @helenemagnusson
Mosi sweater or jumper, gloves and hat designed by Hélène Magnússon. Photo courtesy Hélène Magnússon.Portrait of Hélène Magnússon. Photo courtesy Hélène Magnússon.
Irene Waggener is an independent researcher and writer who strives to illustrate the contexts in which knitting exists – both past and present. Her book, Keepers of the Sheep: Knitting in Morocco’s High Atlas and Beyond, was written in collaboration with shepherds from Morocco’s High Atlas. Currently, she is working with knitters and shepherds in Armenia. Irene is on Instagram @waggens_ho
Moroccan knitted pants or trousers. Photo courtesy Irene Waggener.Cover of ‘Keepers of the Sheep: Knitting in Morocco’s High Atlas and Beyond’ book by Irene Waggener. Photo courtesy Irene Waggener.
Frankie Owens is a practitioner of knitting, spinning and braiding in the UK. Shortly after retiring, a visit to Peru sparked an interest in Peruvian textiles and she learned the Peruvian style of knitting directly from a Quechuan knitter. Frankie is a member of the Cambridgeshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, who established a Peruvian Textile Study Group, now expanded in scope to become the Textile Traditions Study Group.
Peruvian villager wearing a knitted chullo or ch’ullu (cap). Photo courtesy Cynthia LeCount Samaké.Old woollen knitted chullo or ch’ullu from Pitumarka area of Peru. Photo courtesy Cynthia LeCount Samaké.
Cynthia LeCount Samaké spent many years travelling in Peru and Bolivia, researching the distinctive knitted caps and arm warmers knitted and worn by male villagers. Her seminal book Andean Folk Knitting: Traditions and Techniques from Peru and Bolivia, written as Cynthia Gravelle Lecount, was published in 1990. She currently leads textile and culture tours to several countries including Turkey, Thailand and Uzbekistan. Cynthia’s website is www.btsadventures.com
Detail of contemporary Andean ch’ullu knitted with colourful synthetic yarns showing devilish motifs. Photo courtesy Cynthia LeCount Samaké
Knitted Andean ch’ullu hats collected in Bolivia in the 1990s by Sandy Black, featured in Selvedge Magazine no 68 (2015).
We are delighted to announce speakers for our next Knitting History Forum Conference, taking place on Saturday 28th January 2023 as an online event.
This year, we look at a range of knitting traditions and histories from several different countries and cultures, and many of the speakers have written books on their subjects. We will be welcoming:
Kristi Jõeste from Estonia on the heritage of Estonian mittens;
Cynthia LeCount Samaké on developments in traditional Andean knitting and ch’ullu (cap) designs
Frankie Owens on the practice of Peruvian knitting
Hélène Magnússen on Icelandic knitting traditions
Irene Waggener on knitting in Morocco’s High Atlas region
Join us on 28th January 2023 for this exciting programme! Tickets for the conference are £25.00 payable via PayPal. We are pleased to confirm this includes online access to recordings and ticket sales are still open for those unable to join us on the day of the conference.
Please ensure we have your correct name and up-to-date email address as the link for this online conference will be sent via email, closer to the event. The day will run from 11.15am to 4.45pm GMT/UTC.
Knitting History Forum is not a registered charity but we will accept donations.
Your tickets and donations cover speakers’ expenses and pay KHF event and administration costs, including hosting the Knitting History Conferences and running the Knitting History website.
Detail of contemporary Andean ch’ullu knitted with colourful synthetic yarns showing devilish motifs. Photo courtesy Cynthia LeCount Samaké