IST 605: 🔮 The Stitching Hour: Fiber Arts from Then to Now 🔮

This article from the V&A Museum provides a comprehensive overview of hand knitting from its earliest origins to the modern day. It explores the social, economic, and cultural roles knitting has played across different time periods and regions. The piece includes high-quality images from the museum’s collection, offering valuable visual context. It’s an excellent starting point for anyone interested in the historical development of knitting as both craft and necessity.

This short article introduces JSTOR’s curated digital collection of historical knitting manuals. It reflects on how these documents shed light on domestic life, gender roles, and economic activity over the past two centuries. The article also highlights the relevance of knitting as both a practical skill and a cultural artifact. It’s a helpful resource for researchers looking for digitized primary sources or exploring the cultural impact of fiber arts.

The Antique Pattern Library hosts a large, freely accessible archive of vintage knitting patterns. Many documents date back to the 19th and early 20th centuries and include detailed illustrations and instructions. The site is ideal for historical researchers, reenactors, or modern crafters interested in heritage techniques. Its crowd-sourced, preservation-based mission makes it a valuable open-access resource.

This curated collection within the Internet Archive includes dozens of digitized Victorian-era knitting books. Each volume is available for free and includes a scan of the original publication. The manuals offer insight into historic materials, tools, and techniques, and often feature clothing and household patterns. It’s an excellent trove for anyone researching period-accurate knitting or teaching historical fiber arts.This collections was donated by Richard Rutt to the Knitting Reference Library at the University of Southampton Library.

This is a publication available through the Gale database that focuses on historical and traditional handwork, including knitting. It often explores the stories behind stitches, contextualizing them within broader historical, cultural, or regional frameworks. The journal is useful for those researching the cultural heritage of textile crafts or seeking patterns inspired by traditional techniques. Access may require institutional access, such as a university library login.

Ravelry is one of the largest online communities for knitters, crocheters, and other fiber artists. The platform offers pattern databases, user forums, project tracking tools, and group spaces to connect with others based on interest or geography. Users can search for patterns by yarn type, difficulty, or designer and keep digital notebooks of their projects. It’s a dynamic hub for inspiration, social support, and organizing fiber-related activities.

Lion Brand Yarn is a longstanding American yarn company that offers both physical products and a rich archive of free patterns online. The website includes video tutorials, blog posts, and beginner guides, making it a great resource for new crafters. It also supports a community element through user-submitted projects and reviews. The site is ideal for sourcing materials and finding contemporary, accessible patterns.

The Craft Yarn Council is a central authority that promotes consistency and accessibility within the yarn industry. It provides educational resources, standardized yarn weight symbols, and sizing guidelines for knitters and crocheters of all skill levels. Their website includes tutorials, pattern links, and industry-wide initiatives like “Stitch Away Stress” and educational outreach. It’s an excellent starting point for anyone looking to understand the basics of yarn, hooks, and crafting standards.

This UK-based organization is dedicated to the academic study and historical preservation of hand knitting. The site includes scholarly articles, bibliographies, and updates on knitting history events and conferences. It’s particularly useful for researchers and serious hobbyists interested in textile history from a global or European perspective. Their resources contribute to the documentation and appreciation of knitting as an evolving historical practice.

The Internet Archive is a nonprofit digital library that provides free access to millions of books, images, and media, many related to knitting, crochet, and other fiber arts. Users can browse vintage pattern books, public domain crafting manuals, and historical knitting magazines. It’s an great resource for discovering old techniques, retro styles, or lesser-known stitches. The Archive helps preserve crafting history and makes it accessible to anyone with an internet connection.