New recruits are required to volunteer at the Framework Knitters Museum in Ruddington, Nottingham. Please contact the Museum Volunteer Coordinator, Holly Batley, directly for further details.
Frock On!
Readers of Knitting History News may not have seen this brief history of guernseys / ganseys from the USS Constitution Museum.
Scottish Handknitting Industry Thesis
Helen Bennett’s ‘Scottish Knitting’ is a frequent entry in bibliographies of knitting. Her 1981 doctoral thesis, “The origins and development of the Scottish hand-knitting industry”, is now available online from ERA, digital research archive of The University of Edinburgh.
Dr Bennett’s introduction states “The purpose of this study […] is to examine the evidence for the antiquity of the wearing and making of knitted garments in Scotland, and to establish a framework for the emergence of the industry in different parts of the country”. Ruth Gilbert, who kindly sent in this link, describes the thesis as the best general background available free online and we agree!
Southern Knitting in the US Civil War
Emerging Civil War, a website devoted to the American Civil War, published an interesting post on knitting for the troops in the 1860s. ‘Knitting in the Civil War South‘ offers an insight into the Southern home front.
Some of the many women ready to contribute to the war effort by knitting for soldiers were surprised to find the task more difficult than they imagined, and their exertions unappreciated. Newspapers lamented the quality of some of the items sent to the front by their female readers, complaining that they were too small for soldiers’ feet or even that they were misshapen. The Charleston Mercury remarked, “The formation of some of the socks which they have produced does not indicate a very exact knowledge of human anatomy. I saw one last evening, which I am told, was intended for the foot of the entire Southern Confederacy. From its size, I judged it would make a rather loose fit.”
The guest post is by Hannah McClearnen, currently taking a Masters degree at West Virginia University. Read the whole article here.
Knitting, Technology And Gaming
1980s brochure for Nintendo Knitting Machine
Students of knitting history are well aware the craft has long proved adaptable in the face of innovation. In the last thirty years, knitting and technology have had some interesting encounters. According to this article from 2012, in the 1980s Nintendo worked on an add-on device for the Nintendo Entertainment System that would have enabled users of the NES to create their own designs and knit them. A brochure from the time includes the bold statement, “The Nintendo Knitting Machine is just one more example of the innovative thinking that keeps Nintendo on the cutting edge of video technology. And your customers on the edge of their seats.” The brochure boasted, “Of course we should probably mention that no other video game system offers anything even remotely similar.” In hindsight, there may have been a reason for that. Despite the confidence of the advertising copy, the Nintendo Knitting Machine was shown at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas in 1987 but was never released.
On a related theme, ‘A brief history of yarn in video games‘ briefly mentions this same story and further electronic, yarn-related surprises, including an iPhone knitting game from 2009, an unusual subject for future knitting history research. The language in this article may be offensive to readers.
450th Anniversary Jacket
450th Anniversary Jacket knitted by Tricia Basham
The 450th Anniversary Jacket was recently displayed on the KCG stand at the Creative Crafts Show in Esher. It was knitted by KHF Treasurer and Membership Secretary, Tricia Basham, as part of her City & Guilds in Hand Knit Textiles.
Designed to tie-in with the 450th anniversary celebrations at the school where she then worked, this exquisite jacket was influenced by seventeenth-century textiles in the V&A collection, winning the V&A’s “Inspired by…” Fashion and Textiles Prize in 2012.
The photo of the 450th Anniversary Jacket on the KCG stand was taken by Emma Vining, another Knitting History Forum member and supporter whose knitwear design just made the cover of The Knitter again.
Knitting History Website Re-vamp
Welcome to the new look Knitting History website. The re-vamp has landed! Knitting History now is easier to use, has improved visibility and is more mobile-friendly. The old URLs are no longer valid so please visit http://knittinghistory.co.uk/ and update your bookmarks. Further developments are on the way. We hope you enjoy the changes and our fresh new format.
Christmas Jumper Day 2014
Christmas knitwear has come in from the cold. Rescued from the icy wastelands of taste and fashion, it is assured of a welcome with the return of Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 12th December 2014.
The charity Save The Children would like as many people as possible to wear a Christmas jumper to work or to school for suggested donations of £2 for adults and £1 for children. Their website has more info and additional suggestions for fundraising (http://jumpers.savethechildren.org.uk/about/faqs).
Others are getting involved too. As well as donating £2 from every sale of their exclusive Penguin Christmas jumper pattern, Deramores are offering free jumper patterns on their website http://www.deramores.com/christmas-jumper-day. Well-known British designers as well as students of the London College of Fashion have customised 30 identical bespoke jumpers by Wool and the Gang. Atterley Road will be holding a Secret Jumper Sale on 3rd December, selling the jumpers in aid of Save The Children. This is a rare opportunity to own an unique piece of knitting history AND do your bit for charity. Visit their website for more info and a preview of all 30 jumpers http://www.atterleyroad.com/the-road/do-your-bit-with-a-knit/
Knitting 1914-2014
There’s still time to catch the exhibition ‘Knitting 1914-2014’.
Celebrating knitting in the 100 years since the First World War, the exhibition features historical items from the Knitting Reference Library and Knitting Collections held by the University of Southampton Library, together with new work by knitwear students at Winchester School of Art.
Two co-ordinating study days will be held on 2-3 April, the first at the Highfield Campus, the second in the Gallery at Winchester School of Art. Speakers include Jonathan Faiers, Gill Clarke, Victoria Walters, Alex Pengelly, Martin Polley, Tom Van Deijnen, Linda Newington and many others. Download a programme here http://www.southampton.ac.uk/intheloop/documents/knitting1914-2014finalstudydaysprog4march2014.pdf
‘Knitting 1914-2014’ runs until 4 April 2014 in the Special Collections Gallery at the Hartley Library on the Highfield Campus, University of Southampton http://www.southampton.ac.uk/intheloop/