[Nfb-krafters-korner] Want To Know Wednesday 1/24/18

[Amy Herstein]

Hi, guys.

Here's what I know. I do knitting and am learning crocheting,
hopefully, in the very near future, so I made a point of learning some
fun factoids.

Knitting: I'm really interested in cables and lace, but some general
stuff first.

The craft was professionally done first by men. Men established
knitting guilds during the Middle Ages and could apprentice and become
master knitters, but women were barred. They did, however, dominate, I
believe, at home, nonprofessionally. Women could also establish
cottage industries, and many did, selling hose, stockings, and socks,
but mastery was not permissible.

Old pieces of knitting were found in the Middle East; one of the
oldest of stitch patterns was made with crossed and twisted knitting,
meaning stitches worked through their back loops.

Some very old needles are made of bone, not wood, bamboo, metal, or plastic.

Lace and Cables: Intermarriage, the environment (dominated by the
sea), and little outside influence helped to create fisherman's
sweaters, which were, besides being decorative, a means of identifying
sailors lost at sea. No family made fisherman's sweaters alike.

The region of the British Isles known for these sweaters is the Aran
Isles, but other people living in seaports also contributed to the
wide variety of cable patterns available to the knitter today.

Cables were the central patterns in a garment called the bridal shirt.
This was knitted either by a fisherman or his bride and was to be worn
on his wedding day.

The availability of hairlike, fine threads of white cotton and muslin
ushered in the era of "white knitting" during the Victorian era.

The needles used to create lace were called "wires."

During the heyday of lace knitting, lace patterns were mainly done in
white, often by ladies of the upper classes.

Crochet: The craft was, at one time, associated with women of ill
repute, especially the making of fine lace.

Ironically, such lace was devised, it is believed, by Irish nuns
living in convents.

Irish crochet was originally a means for Irish women to help support
their families through the Potato Famine.

Crochet is thought to be the newest of the needle arts.

Amy

On 1/24/18, Nella Foster via Nfb-krafters-korner
<nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Happy Wednesday to all of you crafters out there.
>
>
>
> I want to Thank Becky for doing such a fine job of playing my part last
> week.  I'm sure she could play me on T.V. lol
>
>
>
> My day has been a little hectic, so I'm getting this out a bit late.
>
>
>
> Here is another question from Amy.
>
>
>
> Each craft, whether it be woodworking or knitting, has its own unique
> history.  What interesting trivia or factoids do you know about the crafts
> that you do?
>
>
>
> What is some of the terminology used in your craft?
>
>
>
> Now pay attention to everyone's responses because I might use some of them
> next Monday when we have craft trivia.
>
>
>
> As usual I'm looking forward to reading and learning.
>
>
>
> Nella
>
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