Old Crafts on New Videos

Linda Ligon — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:00:00 GMT

When I go to the weddings of my younger friends and relatives, there’s always a videographer on hand, recording every little detail. My original response was to scoff at the notion of turning a solemn life passage into a media event. But then I thought, what if I had a video of my grandparents’ weddings? Wow. That would be such a powerful connection to my own past. Such a fascinating record of the details of life in those times.


Patent for radioactive glow-in-the-dark knitting needles, from Susan Strawn's Knits of Yore.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to have videos of women knitting for the troops during World War I? Or women in Eastern Europe or Russia spinning and knitting mittens and shawls? It would be like taking a time machine back to archaic knitting circles, seeing how they made stuff, how they interacted, what they talked about.

Well, too bad. Too late. We’re lucky to even have old black-and-white photos. However, bringing the past back to life is the mission and passion of some of the women we’ve worked with in recent years in our video studio. Case in point: Susan Strawn. Susan is a textile scholar with astonishing research skills and a passion for knitting. In Knits of Yore, we hear of the heavily guarded “silk train” that carried imported Chinese silk from the West Coast to Belding-Corticelli mills in the East. We learn the highly personal stories of women whose lives were built around knitting in the 19^th century. We see the products of clever patent applications— including radioactive knitting needles, for carrying on during wartime blackouts. You laugh with Susan in recognition of the knitting quirks of our foremothers— quirks we share.


	Lithuanian distaff with folk art carvings of symbols representing the sun, from Donna Druchunas' Knitting Lithuanian Socks.

In Knitting Lithuanian Socks, Donna Druchunas takes us on a trip to her family’s homeland and into the street stalls and country homes where sock knitters incorporate ancient motifs into their footwear, and employ a couple of heel turns that you probably haven’t seen before. And Galina Khmeleva – well, her native Russia comes to life in Orenburg Spinning (soon to be followed by Orenburg Knitting). She shares so much more than the how—her stories make you feel the cold of this little corner of Russia just south of Siberia, and the treasure of cashmere goats, and the need for the warmest socks, shawls, and mittens.


Detail of one of Galina Khmeleva's Orenburg lace shawls.

I guess my point is that, while a modern video isn’t the same as time travel, it’s the next best thing. And maybe you should be videotaping yourself next time you sit down to knit. Someone, someday, will be fascinated.

Cheers,

Knitting History Detective

Jeane Hutchins — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:00:00 GMT

I'm a big fan of PBS's History Detectives program, in part because it goes beyond merely looking at an object but also tries to uncloak the object's historical story. And now PieceWork has its own history detective!


A child's sweater rescued from the dustbin on the page of a vintage pattern book showing the exact pattern for the sweater—a serendipitous find.

Susan Strawn, longtime supporter of and contributor to PieceWork and an associate professor who teaches the history of dress, agreed to share her detective skills in our first "PieceWork Presents" DVD. In Knits of Yore: A Close Look at Some Curious, Perplexing, and Estimable Knitted Objects from the Past 200 Years, Susan thoughtfully explains why knitting matters, how it is our "shared heritage," and how patterns from the past can be adapted for contemporary use. This is just like sitting in your living room curled up in the wingback with Susan on the sofa surrounded by an amazing array of knitted treasures. Susan takes an in-depth look at a variety of knitting and adds the rich, historical context for each item—when was it made, who may have made it, why was it made.

Think "glow-in-the-dark" needles are a 21st-century invention? Nope, Susan discovered a patent for them filed during World War I.

Ever heard of America's Silk Road? Susan explains that the demand in the early decades of the 20th century for silk from Japan to supply yarn companies in New England was so great that special trains loaded with silk sped across the country.


	An array of knitted mittens; the reproduction of a medieval mitten is in the lower right.

Believe medieval knitters didn't embellish their work? Susan knitted a replica of a child's mitten now in a London museum complete with its very sweet decorative band.

Is there a relationship between pockets and knitted bags? You bet, and Susan explains it.

Can you imagine the excitement you would feel when you opened a vintage pattern book and saw the pattern for a baby sweater that you had just found in an antique store? Susan can.

From potholders to snowsuits for baby, from a random decrease in a medieval mitten to a purl spiral in lace stockings, Susan's passion for and knowledge of knitting shines in Knits of Yore. And there's more: she demonstrates various techniques, including a 1930s drop-stitch pattern, a picot edge for socks, and a spiral panel for a cap and provides downloadable patterns for lace stockings and the medieval baby mittens.


Download the pattern for these delicate lacy knitted stockings from Knits of Yore.

As with any good detective, Susan is continually on the lookout for clues to solve more knitting mysteries, and she keeps asking questions about this glorious craft we call knitting. Pop this DVD in, get settled in your most comfy chair, and indulge yourself. I think you're going to love what she has detected and shares in Knits of Yore!

Best,

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Traditions Today : Knit Mittens

Old Crafts on New Videos

Knitting History Detective