Crafting Through History: Knitting
Q&A with Matilda Linné, Visitor Center Manager
We took some time to talk with Matilda Linné, who will be leading the discussion about the history of knitting at Crafting Through History on Saturday, October 17.
What makes knitting unique as a fiber art?
Knitting is unique because of its importance in modern history. Knitting was one of the first types of textiles to be mechanized. The stocking frame, a machine developed in the 16th century to created knitted stockings, laid the groundwork for many of the machines developed in the industrial revolution. To this day, a large portion of the textiles that we wear are knitted.
In what ways has knitting been a social activity, historically?
Most knitting projects are completed by a single person as we tend to value uniform tension (i.e. how tight or loose knitted stitches are). That can be hard to achieve if several people with differing knitting styles work on the same project. However, there are always people looking to use their skills for good. Most notably during World War I, public knitting bees were organized. During these events people would come together to knit items such as hats and socks for soldiers or those affected by the war.
How has knitting played a role in the women’s rights movement?
What I find interesting is how women used knitting and other crafts to subvert Victorian gender expectations. Many Victorians considered it shameful to not make use of your time in some way. This also applied to the women who were expected to stay home. Women would take up crafts such as knitting and crochet to pass the time, and many would then sell those items to fundraise for causes such as abolition or women’s rights. They were taking the expectations of them as women and using it to fight against the very system that put those expectations in place.
What was the most surprising thing you learned about knitting in your research?
What surprised me most about knitting in my research is the development of knitting patterns throughout history. In the past, knowledge of patterns and techniques were passed from person to person orally. As published materials became more accessible in the 19th century, written knitting patterns became common. These first patterns did not look like the knitting patterns we would recognize today. The notation was less standardized and patterns contained less of the information that we would consider to be necessary. It astounds me both that people were able to produce items from these patterns and that people were able to knit such intricate items without a pattern in the first place.