Knitting America A Glorious Heritage from Warm Socks to High Art

210 Pages·2011·122.619 MB·English

by  Susan M. Strawn

First published in 2007 by Voyageur Press, an imprint Credits:
of MBI Publishing Company, 400 First Avenue North, On the front cover: Top, from left: Vesterheim
Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA Norwegian-American Museum, Decorah, Iowa;
Columbia Bouclette Suit No. 300; Shutterstock.
Copyright © 2007, 2011 by Susan M. Strawn Middle: Shutterstock. Bottom from left: Photograph ©
John Springer Coliection/Corbis; Shutterstock;
Hardcover edition published in 2007. American Thread Company.
Softcover edition 2011
On the frontispiece: Knitting friends, circa 1930s.
All photographs are from the author's collection unless
noted otherwise. On the title page: Currier & Ives's engraving, The
Knitting Lesson.
All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief
passages for the purposes of review, no part of this Inset on the title page: Knitting during the Great
publication may be reproduced without prior written Depression. (Library of Congress)
permission from the Publisher.
The information in this book is true and complete to
the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are
made without any guarantee on the part of the author
or Publisher, who also disclaims any liability incurred
in connection with the use of this data or specific
details.
We recognize, further, that some words, model names,
and designations mentioned herein are the property of
the trademark holder. We use them for identification
purposes only. This is not an official publication.
Voyageur Press titles are also available at discounts in
Digital edition: 978-1-61060-249-5
bulk quantity for industrial or sales-promotional use.
Softcover edition: 978-0-7603-4011-0
For details write to Special Sales Manager at MBI Pub
lishing Company, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 300,
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA.
Strawn, Susan.
To find out more about our books, visit us online at
Knitting America: a glorious heritage from warm
www.voyageurpress.com.
socks to high art!
By Susan M. Strawn.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-4011-0
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Editor: Michael Dregni
ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-2621-3 (hardbound wi jacket)
Designer: Sara Holle
1. Knitting--United States--History. I. Title.
Cover Designer: Sandra Salamony
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by Melanie Falick
W hen I began to knit as an adult - after several how knitting is intertwined with such subjects as geog Opposite page:
false starts during childhood - I was immedi raphy, migration, politics, economics, female emanci American knitters -
ately curious about the lives of knitters and how I could pation, and evolving social mores. She has traced how snapshots through time.
study history, in particular women's history, by way of a melting pot of knitting traditions found their way
knitting. At the time - this was in the late 1980s - into American culture via vast waves of immigration,
there were fewer knitters (certainly fewer knitters who expanded opportunity for travel, and technology. She
were "outed") and definitely fewer books about knit has shown how knitting has provided solace during
ting being published than there are today. While I was difficult times, from the Great Depression to the days
curious about the history of knitting in the United following September 11. She has documented the sig
States, I found it easier to explore its history in coun nificant contributions knitters have made during peri
tries outside of it, in places like the Shetland Islands in ods of war, especially the Revolutionary War, the Civil
Scotland and the Orenburg region of Russia. In part, War, and World Wars I and II. She has demonstrated
this was because I had a fairly serious case of wander how the first American knitters created clothing that was
lust at that time and was always eager to travel abroad, crucial for survival, how knitting evolved into a symbol
and in part because information about these foreign of feminine propriety and then later into a symbol of
knitting traditions was more readily available. I loved rebellion, how some American women used knitting as
to knit but I had the feeling that most of our society a means of earning income at times when other types of
regarded it as inconsequential, as not having any sig employment were not open to them, and how today,
nificant impact on American lives. while it can still be a method of earning a living, it has
I distinctly remember lying on my bed in my small become primarily a mode of creative expression. Along
New York City apartment searching for stories about the way she illustrates this history with a plentiful supply
knitters in the United States in Richard Rutt's 1987 of visual imagery (much of it rarely seen before), includ
of
book,A History Hand Knitting-only to be faced with ing reproductions of paintings, photographs, and/or
this statement: "Information about the history of hand advertisements on nearly every page.
knitting in the United States is hard to find." A few years I know that in the years to come I will refer back to
later I happened upon a paperback copy ofN o Idle Hands: this book many times, rereading certain passages and
of
The Social History American Knitting by Anne marveling over images - maybe the Pacific Northwest
Macdonald (first published in 1988); this book gave me Tulalip Indian on page 50 or Grace Coolidge, the only
my initial glimpse into domestic knitting history, was first lady known to have entered her knitting in county
certainly more helpful than Rutt's book, and whetted my fairs, on page 111, or the song lyrics for the musical sen
appetite for more. But more was slow in coming. sation of the 1910s "Listen to the Knocking at the
Having been asked to write a foreword for Knitting Club" on page 74, or the advertisement from
Knitting America, I have had the opportunity to review 1918 on page 87 for the newest invention (and one of my
this comprehensive text before publication. While it favored tools), the circular knitting needle. I know that
doesn't surprise me that Susan Strawn has created such Susan, now a committed and generous scholar, hopes
a fascinating book - when I first met her, when we that her book will inspire other writers to delve even
both worked for Interweave Press (she as an illustrator deeper into the rich topic of American knitting history.
and stylist and I as an editor), she immediately I believe that will happen. But first we must take a bit of
impressed me with her commitment to excellence and time to appreciate her validating work and to thank her
her eagerness to take on new challenges - I am still in for sharing it with us.
awe of the scope of her accomplishment here. Mter
leaving Interweave, she earned her Ph.D. and clearly Melanie Falick
honed her research skills. Editorial director of STC Craft; author of Knitting in
What I find most fascinating about this book is America, Kids Knitting, Weekend Knitting, and Handknit
how Susan has placed the history of knitting within Holidays, and co-author of Knitting for Baby; former
the context of American history, so we can clearly see editor-in chief of Interweave Knits magazine
7