Knitting History Forum Conference Report 2024

Senior conservation scientist at The National Archives, Marc Vermeulen, undertaking microfading testing with Museum of London textile conservator Emily Austin, 2022 (Image: Beatrice Behlen, © Museum of London)

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.     

Recreations of knitted-in cuff patterns of three knitted liturgical gloves
Recreations of knitted-in cuff patterns of three knitted liturgical gloves, showing the variety of such patterns, as discussed in the presentation (Image: © Lesley O’Connell Edwards)

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

Knitting History Forum Conference Saturday 3 February 2024

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.

Knitting History Forum/Early Knitting History Group Reconstruction Knitted Sanquhar Glove courtesy of Kirstie Buckland. PLEASE DO NOT USE IMAGE WITHOUT PERMISSION

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.

If you’d like to learn more about the Knitting History Forum Conference, please see https://knittinghistory.co.uk/category/khfconferences/ for more information and a look at our previous conferences. The January 2023 KHF conference offered a round-the-world tour of knitting traditions and access to the 2023 recordings is still available for purchase online.

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!

KHF Conference 2023 Recordings

Detail of contemporary Andean ch’ullu knitted with colourful synthetic yarns showing devilish motifs. Photo courtesy Cynthia LeCount Samaké

Many thanks to everyone who took part in the Knitting History Forum conference in January 2023. We are pleased to confirm recordings of the presentations are now available for viewing online.

Conference delegates will already have received an email – if you have not, please check your spam folder.

Ticket sales are still open for those unable to join us on the day of the conference. For more information, see our conference noticedownload a copy of the conference programme or learn more about our speakers. You can also read a conference report by one of the delegates who attended. Tickets are £25.00 (including access to recordings) payable via PayPal. Book yours by clicking below:


Thank you all for supporting Knitting History Forum.

Knitting History Forum Conference Report 2023

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

Introducing Our Speakers 2023

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

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

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.

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

Tickets for the Knitting History Forum Conference on Saturday 28th  January 2023 are still available to book and cost £25 by PayPal. Please remember to give us your correct name and current email address as otherwise we may be unable to get in touch.

Knitting History Forum Conference 2023

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.

See you then!

Sandy Black (Chair) and the KHF committee

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

Knitting History Forum 2023

Delegates and speakers connecting between presentations at KHF 2017.

The game’s afoot! No, not another Henry V or Sherlock Holmes, but Knitting History Forum, coming soon to a small screen near you, Saturday January 28, 2023. Work on our next online meeting continues apace and we will have some exciting news to announce shortly. Check back soon for more information and booking details.

knitting history forum logo

Save The Date! KHF Conference 2023

Knitting History Forum/Early Knitting History Group Reconstruction Knitted Sanquhar Glove courtesy of Kirstie Buckland. PLEASE DO NOT USE IMAGE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Good news! We are pleased to announce the next Knitting History Forum conference is confirmed for Saturday 28th January 2023.

Once again the Knitting History Forum conference will be held online and KHF welcomes delegates and presentations of original knitting history research from around the world.  Here are reports from recent Knitting History conferences to whet your appetite: KHF 2018KHF 2019KHF 2020 & KHF 2021.

FURTHER DETAILS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN DUE COURSE, SO PLEASE SAVE THE DATE! WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON 28TH JANUARY 2023!
KHF Chair Sandy Black with Co-founder and Honorary President Kirstie Buckland at the Knitting History Forum Conference in 2017

Knitting History Forum 2021 Conference Report

This year’s Knitting History Forum Conference was a fascinating and informative journey through knitting history and traditions featuring a roster of informative speakers presenting papers on a diverse range of topics making the 13th of November 2021 event a well-rounded conference. The theme for 2021 was Heads, Hands and Feet and the conference examined knitted artefacts and evidence of their production and social context from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The conference was a virtual, online event similar to last year, kicking off with 10 am start. For those of us in Ontario, Canada however, the conference started at an early 5 am. And that early morning alarm clock wake-up was so very well worth it!

Conference presentation topics included:

  • Knitted caps from the 16th century and their relation to the fez
  • Stockings and stocking production in 16th and 17th century England and The Netherlands
  • 18th century bluestockings
  • Hand-knitting in the Indian subcontinent
  • Knitting literature and practice in the 19th century
  • Early liturgical gloves
  • And so much more!

Conference speakers were Kirstie Buckland, Gieneke Arnolli, Lesley O’Connell Edwards, Pat Poppy, Hanna Bäckström, Jane Malcolm-Davies, Angharad Thomas, Pragya Sharma, Constance Willems and Nicole Pohl as well as a follow-up by Sandy Black on her presentation at the 2020 KHF Conference.

Knitted caps from the Sixteenth century

The day’s programme opened with Kirstie Buckland, Hon President, of the Knitting History Forum, who presented From fleece to fez in fifteen steps: an interpretation of the 1571 Cappers Act in the 21st century. Buckland shared information about the history of woollen caps and British cappers who made them, writing that, “The wool caps were widely appreciated from the 13th century to the changing fashions of the 16th century.” Buckland noted a marked similarity between surviving British woollen caps in historical collections and the production of fez caps in Tunis today. On a trip to Tunis, Buckland happened upon a stall of a fez maker and discovered that, like the early British caps, the modern Tunisian fezzes were actually knit first and then fulled. She watched as the artisan used a teasel to full the knitted caps, a process no doubt similar to the method employed by British cappers.

Harlingen hosiery shops in the 17th century

Next up was Gieneke Arnolli, former curator of the Fries Museum, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands who gave a presentation on Inlandic, Foreign and Speckled Stockings from Harlingen hosiery shops in the 17th century. Arnolli based her paper on inventories, from between 1637 and 1668, of hosiery shops in Harlingen, a harbour town in Friesland (Fryslân), the large, northwestern Dutch province. At the time, Harlingen was the northern gateway of the Republic of the United Netherlands.

Arnolli reported that knitted stockings or “hose” could be bought ready-made in the 17th century, making them an early form of ready-to-wear clothing, as well as valuable exporting items. The craft of stocking knitting was done by men and women, who were members of a guild. Most of the Harlingen stocking shops were held in the name of (married) women; and there were always two women involved in inventorying, as licenced valuers. The stockings traded in the shops were nearly always made of wool. The shops were like workshops with knitting supplies on hand such as knitting yarn, whalebones or iron wire for making knitting needles, and moulds in the shape of a leg for stretching the knitted stockings around.

Elizabethan and Jacobean Hand-knitted Stockings

Lesley O’Connell Edwards, an Independent Researcher from the UK, then presented her paper, From anecdote to statistic: in search of quantifiable data for the volume of production and trade in hand knitted stockings made from wool in England in the later Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.

Edwards’ paper shows that it is possible to provide quantifiable data when it comes to the history of stocking knitting. From her abstract: “After touching on the amount of wool that might be needed for a pair of stockings, the paper will concentrate on the number of stockings being produced and traded, both within England and as exports, and reveal who the traders could be.  It will then consider knitters as a socio-economic group and produce an estimate of how many there could be in the early seventeenth century. Finally, it will show how sometimes different categories of records can be brought together to paint a broader picture of stocking knitting, using (fine) jersey stocking knitting in Norwich and Yarmouth as a case study.”

Knitted garments in Seventeenth century accounts

After the break, Pat Poppy reported on knitted garments in Stuart accounts with “3 pounds Wostid in niting”: Knitted garments in Stuart accounts. From the abstract: “An ongoing project created a database of information on clothing from the Stuart period. The database contains around 23,000 references, only a few are to knitting or to knitted garments. These do however provide an insight into what was being produced and how. The bulk of the garments are stockings, followed by small numbers of gloves, cuffs, a waistcoat and a doublet.” Poppy’s presentation examined changing terminology, particularly around references to stockings, the extent to which knitted items were purchased or ordered and the values put on the finished items, including cost of yarn and cost of knitting.

Nineteenth century stocking knitting literature

Hanna Backstrom’s paper, “There are few ladies who cannot knit stockings” – Printed instructions, norms and practice in the nineteenth century, was next in the presentation lineup. Bäckström, PhD in Textile Studies, Uppsala University, Sweden, explained that in research on the history of knitting, stockings are often mentioned as a key item. The stockings themselves are often well described but the development of the printed instructions on how to make them has not been given the same attention. Backstrom’s paper examines how the publication of instructions for knitting stockings changed over time. She also explored what was thought of as women’s work in nineteenth century Sweden and how knitting was considered to be an appropriate activity for women from all social backgrounds, as professional livelihood, domestic chore or ladylike accomplishment, but interestingly, “Most of the printed manuals were aimed at middle- and upper-class women, and in these publications the knitting of stockings was framed as a fashionable, graceful and feminine activity, tied to bourgeoisie gender ideals.”

Examining the body of evidence for early knitting.

Jane Malcolm-Davies, Associate professor of textile analysis, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, presented her paper, Heads, hands and feet: Examining the body of evidence for early knitting. Malcolm-Davies has been working at developing a more scientific approach to historic textile studies. In her abstract, she writes, “Rigorous object-based research (at the macro and micro-level) promised by scientific enquiry and the insights offered by craft expertise now need to be integrated into the interpretive framework of traditional contextual studies of dress and textile history. “  Malcolm-Davies notes that our understanding of prehistoric and ancient dress has been increased by “innovative cross-cultural academic collaboration” and points out study of early modern garments could also reap the benefit of further interdisciplinary work : “Textile and dress history offers similarly fertile ground for new teams of collaborators to harvest new knowledge.”

Malcolm-Davies’ presentation was quite enlightening. Textile study can blaze a trail, Malcolm-Davies stated, integrating many facets of scientific investigation including technical, scientific, and craft. According to Malcolm-Davies, “We are all digital archaeologists.”

Holy Hands: Studies of knitted liturgical gloves

This paper, presented by Angharad Thomas and Lesley O’Connell Edwards, shared the findings of the Holy Hands project, which ran between March 2020 and August 2021, researching knitted liturgical gloves. The Knitting in Early Modern Europe (KEME) and Holy Hands research projects came together to catalogue nearly 100 examples of knitted liturgical gloves.

“The project to date has identified ninety-six knitted liturgical gloves in collections worldwide, which have been added to the online database at www.kemeresearch.com. Angharad and Lesley provided links to photographs and added details according to the protocol for recording evidence for early knitting developed by Dr Jane Malcolm-Davies, Ruth Gilbert and Susanne Lervad. Dr Sylvie Odstrčilová contributed to the examination and recording of the knitted gloves, much of which was achieved remotely owing to the challenges of covid and travel restrictions.”

Thomas used the Protocol for Recording Early Knitwork mentioned above, a textile identification form originally published in Archaeological Textiles Review No. 60. The form outlines 9 categories including item identification, item material, and yarn structure and fabric structure to name a few. This form would be of great help to researchers new to textile identification and working at reproductions. This knitter is definitely interested in using the protocol for future reconstruction projects.

Hand Knitting in the Indian subcontinent

Pragya Sharma of the Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD), New Delhi, India, shared her paper on handknitting in India with the fascinating presentation, From jorab (socks) to dastana (gloves): Tracing provenance of hand knitting in the Indian subcontinent. Sharma provided a survey of the history of knitting in India, touching on the knitting contributions of various groups of people including the Moravian missionaries who brought their own knitting traditions to India. Sharma’s abstract states, “Hand knitting is a widely practised craft by women in contemporary India, irrespective of age, culture, or class and this has been the case since the eighteenth century. The earliest reference to knitting from the subcontinent is from the seventeenth century by Dutch colonisers.” The images Sharma shared of the mittens and gloves were quite striking. The pattern motifs, placement of colours (for instance the red-tipped glove fingers) and overall colour choices were quite different than patterns this knitter has come across; the frequent use of reds was quite eye-catching and beautiful.

Reconstructing Sixteenth Century Dutch Stockings

Constance Willems, a designer, researcher and writer from the Netherlands presented, Little 16th Century Feet. The hidden secret of Dutch Groningen´s knitted stocking of 1540, excavated in 2000 in the canal Gracht van Alva, Prinsenstraat 11 in Groningen and reconstructed in 2020 in the Netherlands. Willems spoke about the reconstructions of knitted stockings from the canal Gracht van Alva and handknitting in Groningen. In her abstract, Willems wrote about her reconstruction experience this way, “… as I am reconstructing and have reached the point where I have to decrease the rows of the heel, something very special happens…. and what I thought the heel was, suddenly under my knitting hands, becomes a beautifully shaped part of the sole.”

This point I found very exciting and an encouraging note to any stitcher attempting a recreation. There is so much value in trying to make the old new again as new information can be revealed during the process. An old wool stocking is not just an old wool stocking – it’s a valuable piece of material culture deserving of attention. Things are not always what they seem or what we expect. The process of reconstruction reveals more information than a visual inspection can ever provide.

Knitwits: Knitting the Bluestockings

In her paper titled Knitwits: Knitting the Bluestockings. Knitting and the 18th century salonNicole Pohl, Oxford Brookes University, UK, explored the material culture of the famous eighteenth-century salon of the Bluestockings with a specific focus on the material production and iconography of the ‘blue stockings’. The basis for the paper are the original letters written by the Bluestockings as digitised and edited by The Elizabeth Montagu Correspondence Online (EMCO). Pohl’s abstract explains, “The Bluestockings were a group of men and women who met in the London, Dublin and Bath homes of fashionable hostesses Elizabeth Montagu, Elizabeth Vesey (c.1715-91) and Frances Boscawen (1719-1805) from the 1750s.” Pohl shared that eventually the label ‘Bluestockings’ came to designate, often in a negative sense, a group of learned and intellectual women.

Kate Davies, a Scottish knit designer, established a modern Bluestockings Club in May 2021. The Bluestockings Club celebrates and explores the lives and work of the important group of intellectual women known as the “bluestockings” by examining the history of sock knitting and knitting their own bluestockings.

Classic Knits of the 1980s

Sandy Black, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, UK, shared her book, Classic Knits of the 1980s – a book of colourful knitwear designs. In Part 1 of the book, Black shared her own approach to designing and gathering inspiration, her design process, plus colourwork tips and techniques. Part 2 focused on her 24 knitting designs for sweaters, cardigans, jackets and longer-length tunics, and accessories. Conference delegates enjoyed looking through the images of various patterns and designs. Black’s beautiful colour, geometric and textural designs were praised and commented on, no doubt inspiring many to start a new project or two.

Heads, Hands and Feet – a wealth of information and inspiration

The Knitting History Forum Conference 2021 was packed full of information, the knowledgeable presenters representing an extensive, diverse network of historical knitting professionals. If you have a question about knitting history, you are not alone – this is the community that can help. As a knitter just getting into studying historic patterns and reproducing vintage knitted items (with no formal textile history training), this conference offered a wealth of useful information featuring many absorbing presentations. There was such a lot of information to take in; I look forward to seeing the recorded video presentations just so I can enjoy them all once more. Thank you to all the people who worked to make the conference a reality and to all the speakers who shared their extensive knowledge. Attending this knitting history conference was an invaluable, inspirational experience!

Sharlene Young-Bolen

If you would like to learn more, click the following link to read abstracts of the conference papers mentioned by Sharlene in her report. You can also keep up with the latest news from Knitting History Forum online:

http://knittinghistory.co.uk
https://groups.io/g/knittinghistory
https://twitter.com/KnitHistForum
https://www.facebook.com/KnittingHistoryForum
https://www.instagram.com/knittinghistoryforum/
https://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-history-forum