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