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).

Date and time

Friday January 28, 2022

11.15am to 4.45pm GMT/UTC

Location

Online (Zoom)

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.

Access 2023 recordings

£25

Our Knitting History Forum conference will take place on Saturday 28 January 2023 as an online event.

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.

Join us on 28 January 2023 for this exciting programme! Tickets for the conference are £25.00 payable via PayPal.

KHF Conference 2023 Programme Download

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.

Read the conference report by Julia Holm

Confirmed Speakers

Mittens from Põltsamaa, Estonia. Photo by Kristi Jõeste. Used by permission.

Kristi Jõeste

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

Portrait of Hélène Magnússon. Photo courtesy Hélène Magnússon.

Hélène Magnússon

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

Moroccan knitted pants or trousers. Photo courtesy Irene Waggener.

Irene Waggener

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

Old woollen knitted chullo or ch’ullu from Pitumarka area of Peru. Photo courtesy Cynthia LeCount Samaké.

Frankie Owens

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.

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

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