Author: @kateatherley

Fascinating…. a story about politics in needlecraft – quilting, specifically. A discussion not just about political arguments amongst the quilting community, it illuminates the long-standing use of quilts for communicating political messages, and about the essential tension between an item of tradition and “comfort”, and the power of expressing your voice the only way you are able. I wasn’t aware of historical ‘quilt activism’, and was very happy to learn about it. Reel to Reel: London Craft Week, held the first week of May, offers a film programme: 44 shorts, screened over 3 ...

Well, this is just wonderful. Handknits on Doctor Who!  The Quiet Joy of Watching Other People Knit: another excerpt from the book People Knitting: A Century of Photographs. I’ve linked to these before, but I agree that there is a lot of joy in there. There will be plenty of opportunity to watch people knit at Woolfest, an upcoming fibre festival in Cumbria, U.K., taking place June 23rd and 24th this year. “Verbose mode”: A fascinating, clever and funny talk about the relationship between programming languages and craft instructions, from technology guru Heidi Waterhouse. Even if you’re not in ...

A couple of interesting knitting-related doo-dads on Kickstarter: A next-generation knitting machine, describing itself as a 3-D printer. It’s closer to a commercial knitting machine than one of the semi-manual domestic machines, and offers interesting possibilities for small-scale production, and faster results for the home-maker. And then there’s TINK, the Fiber Artist’s Wearable Notions Bracelet. I am rather intrigued by this knitting toolbelt-like contraption, and will be following the project with interest. Fascinating story about the reconstruction of a textile from a fragment found at an ...

Changes in attitude to clothing good for wool? Although not strictly knitting, I found this a very interesting and informative piece about where your clothing is made… And although this piece is thick with industry-speak and business terms, the key takeaway is that Woolmark, the industry organization for the promotion of wool  is sensing a global movement towards awareness of the costs of ‘fast fashion’, and as a result consumers are moving towards a different shopping approach, that could be very good for wool. As a woman of less-than-average height (I was recently asked by an ...

Love this! Knit designer and teacher Vickie Howell has just launched a kickstarter campaign for “The Knit Show,” the first community funded and internationally accessible episodic how-to knitting web series. Vickie’s “Knitty Gritty” TV series was enormously popular, and many were disappointed when it ended in 2009. Inspired by the messages she receives every day from viewers saying how they miss having a television show that speaks directly to the knitting & crochet community, Vickie has decided to launch a series online. “The Knit Show with Vickie Howell,” will be a web-based series, and Vickie tells us ...

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS: A BBC Radio 4 segment on how knitting and mathematical principals relate. Featuring bonus sock chat. Well, this is exciting! Our own Jillian is very happy to announce she’ll be teaching at WEBS’ first Spinning Retreat. The event, scheduled for September 29- October 1 also features beloved teachers Beth Smith, Amy King and Abby Franquemont. More info here. Fab interview with Pussyhat project co-founder Krista Suh, in Paste Magazine. What’s wonderful about this is to see coverage beyond the usual craft-focused outlets. A knitter in Brighton, UK, is seeking assistance from local ...

The history of an iconic Canadian sweater – the Cowichan, cribbed by Mary Maxim for their curling (or tractor or hockey or other icons of the time) sweaters. In 2011, the Cowichan sweater was designated by the Government of Canada as being of “national and historical significance”. Fascinating and clever: In Finland, young children are taught the basics of working with a computer – without a computer. Knitting needles are pressed into service, as part of an overall approach to teaching algorithmic thinking and processing. One could equally say that you’re teaching knitting when teaching ...

Amazing: a study of a 13th-century fabric fragment, believed to be part of a knit mitten – colourwork, no less! It is rare for fabrics of this age to survive, and so this is particularly notable. As seen in a 1938 issue of Photoplay magazine, Joan Crawford hosted regular knitting parties! (Staged knitting photoshoots remain the same, 80 years later…) We knew that actor Krysten Ritter (of Jessica Jones fame) is a knitter, but we didn’t know she was a designer as well! She’s launched a kit for a gorgeous chunky cowl. Historians are planning a rather remarkable sea voyage for 2019, and are ...