Tag: knitting history
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TBT: Young Eleanor & FDR
Eleanor Roosevelt knit constantly and was photographed knitting often. I suppose it’s a bit more rare to see a photo of FDR knitting as well, but here it is. There is another much more comprehensive blog post about Eleanor knitting, so I won’t get into anything here. However, neatorama explains (scroll to the second to last point)…
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TBT: Red Cross Knitting
Not only does this image from World War I depict boys knitting for the war effort (sweaters? wide scarves?), but it also shows a black boy in the classroom as well, so an integrated classroom, if a lone black boy can be counted as an integrated classroom. I would like to know more about all…
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Traditional Shetland Blocking/Dressing
The Shetland Museum and Archives has textile photo archive available. I think this particular photo is interesting because it shows sweaters (jumpers!) being blocked (dressed!) on wooden forms and I kind of wish I had a few. I wonder when these fell out of use (or have they?) and whether or not making modern versions would be…
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TBT: British Isles and Cloth Making
There’s a theory in the fashion world that a period of austerity or recession heralds a return to the comfort and familiarity of tried-and-tested classics. In this way, we seek solace in what we think of as our heritage. Certainly, many of the collections in the shops for this winter feature designs that have their…
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TBT: Knit Bathing Suits
I need a new bathing suit this year and I particularly like the one on the left. Perhaps I’ll get cracking on making one. Full instructions are available on flickr.
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TBT: Whisky-a-Go-Go Sweater
From the Met: Designed and knitted by maverick American designer Elizabeth Hawes, this sweater was worn by its owner when he went to the Whisky-a-Go-Go nightclub in Los Angeles. For the bon vivant ready to date, the message might seem to be an innocuous telephone number flaunted on the chest. But the indication is far…
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TBT: Vaudeville Knitting
From the Library of Congress collection on flickr, published by Bain News Service between ca. 1915 and ca. 1920. Vaudeville star Frances White looks like she’s up to something while knitting a garter stitch garment while (perhaps) on break during her act. Slightly more about Frances here. This photo was also featured on Shorpy,…
Little Golden Notebook 