Knitting History Forum Conference Saturday 13th November 2021
Heads, Hands and Feet
Call for Papers
For this year’s Knitting History Forum conference we are calling for contributions on the theme of Heads, Hands and Feet. As evidenced by the earliest artefacts that survive in museums and collections, much of the historical practice of knitting created coverings for the extremities of the human body, due to knitting’s flexibility, warmth and capacity for complex three-dimensional shaping.
We are inviting original research papers that focus on items such as knitted hats, caps, bonnets, gloves, stockings or shoes, within any historical period up to the end of the 19th Century. Papers may examine any aspect of knitting history such as design and technical construction, materials, provenance and trade, social context or economic aspects related to the production and consumption of knitted artefacts. This list is not exhaustive so do feel free to propose other areas.
Please submit an extended abstract of between 1200 and 1400 words to the KHF chair Prof Sandy Black on s.black@fashion.arts.ac.uk by the deadline of 30th June. All abstracts will be reviewed by a selection committee and decisions notified by 5th August. Contributors will be invited to present for maximum 20 minutes plus 5 minutes Q&A, and abstracts will be published on the Knitting History website (http://knittinghistory.co.uk/).
The 2021 conference will be extended to a full day, and will take place online on Saturday 13th November with the Knitting History Forum AGM in the afternoon of Friday 12th November.