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A cap lovingly—and flawlessly—knitted for the knitter's grandson. Pitumarca,
Peru. 2011. (Photograph by Joe Coca.) |
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What's the tiniest gauge you've ever knitted? I think my smallest is probably 8 stitches per inch, and chances are your smallest is about that, too. Well check out the hat at left—it's knitted at 18 to 20 stitches per inch. That's right: per inch! I'm lucky enough to own one of these hats, and I can tell you that it is the best hat ever. It has ear flaps, which I love, and it is so warm. Not to mention beautiful.
The latest issue of PieceWork's Knitting Traditions features Interweave founder Linda Ligon's article on the Peruvian knitters who knit these hats and many other things. Here's Knitting Traditions Editor Jeane Hutchins to tell you more about this new issue.
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| A sweater knitted by Jeremina Colvin. Circa 1932.
Collection of the Quw'utsun' Cultural and Conference Centre, Duncan,
British Columbia. (Photograph by Caroline Sommerfeld.) |
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| Inspired by
gloves knitted on Estonia's island of Muhu, these gloves incorporate
traditional Estonian techniques, motifs, and colors. (Photograph by Joe
Coca.) |
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A New Issue of Knitting Traditions
Imagine: you're twenty-seven years old, you leave your family and the
only life you've ever known, take a few meager possessions (but do include your
beloved spinning wheel), and embark on an 8,000-mile journey to the unknown.
This is what Jeremina Robertson Colvin did in 1885 when she left her home in
the Shetland Islands for Cowichan Station in British Columbia, Canada. When Jeremina
met Mary Edwards, a Cowichan, the two women formed a bond that remained
steadfast throughout their lives: knitting played a major role in their
friendship.
Jeremina and Mary's story is just one of many compelling accounts in this fifth
edition of PieceWork's Knitting Traditions. Other passionate knitters
whom you'll meet include Cornelia Mee, a nineteenth-century English author of
knitting books and certainly one of the first knitting entrepreneurs, and the
American poet and knitter Virginia Woods Bellamy, who received a patent for her
"Number Knitting" in 1948.
You'll also learn how the surprise discovery in an antiquarian bookshop of a
color illustration from a nineteenth-century French book led Donna Druchunas to
develop her Bavarian Leg Warmers project. It seems that knitting traditions and
connections are everywhere, sometimes in the most unlikely places. Sprinkled
throughout are projects taken from PieceWork's collection of vintage magazines (look for the word "vintage" in the
title of each project).
All instructions are reproduced exactly as they
appeared in the originals, warts (and errors) and all. A group of intrepid and
talented knitters worked the projects from the original instructions using
modern yarns and needles. Photographs of the finished articles give you an idea
of what to expect.
I welcome you to this installment of PieceWork's Knitting Traditions. It's packed with
historical context on the craft's rich history, stories about extraordinary
knitters, and projects for new and lifelong knitters.
Enjoy!
P.S. Get your new issue of PieceWork's Knitting Traditions today! You can also get Knitting Traditions as a downloadable eBook!