IMG_4622Thank you for coming on our first Rowan Day Out to the Clothworkers’ Centre and the Spring K&S Show. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as me. Aside from the fascinating things that we saw it was a pleasure to meet two groups of such interesting people.

There were Rowan readers from the US and Ireland, from Newcastle and North London. Among them was a paper conservator, Rowan Designer Sarah Hatton, Knitting Magazine’s IMG_4615Deputy Editor and a lady whose grandmother had been a milliner for the Queen Mother. We saw a fabulous Norman Hartnell dress that had been worn by the present Queen too.

Suzanne Smith, Manager of the Clothworkers’, showed us some of the amazing textiles that the V&A store there. Alongside some astonishing knitting we saw ball gowns and hats, sample books and carpets. You can search the V&A archive online to see images of some of the things we examined.

Apologies to those who were hoping to meet Mary Schoeser, curator of the new Fashion and Textile Museum exhibition showcasing Marian Claydon’s fashion from the 1970s. She had been stuck in traffic and missed meeting you all. I caught up with her later and she told me all about the clamp-resist technique used to make the distinctive patterns on her garments. You can see the actual clamps at the exhibition at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in September or look at her fabulous book, Textiles.

We’re hoping to plan more Rowan Days Out, so if you have an idea of somewhere you think other knitters would like to go then let us know.

 

Clothworkers’ Centre Tour

5:NailsA few years ago when visiting the V&A I noticed that the textile archive was no longer there. The great wooden frames with pull-out drawers and panels containing embroidery samplers, lace and knitting samples had been there as long as I can remember, a familiar touchstone. It was reassuring to see one of the same wooden cabinets – looking rather diminutive in the cavernous space of the Clothworkers’ Centre at Blythe House. One of the original nine historic units has been restored to beyond its former glory. As is often the case the rosy-hued past was not always so glorious. With funding from Coats plc the frame units have been updated with acid-free backing and conservation grade perspex where artefacts were previously15:archive drawer nailed unceremoniously onto wooden boards contributing to the untimely decay of their contents. As a cautionary tale for all nay-sayers Susanne keeps the nails in a jar.

Since writing an article for Rowan Magazine 57 about the Clothworkers’ Centre I’ve been asked to guide a tour. We’ll be going on 5 and 6 March to the Clothworkers in the morning, then on to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Olympia with VIP tickets. The Fashion and Textiles Museum have an exhibition on there as well as all the usual shopping opportunities.

Cost for the day is £80 and if you would like to come with us contact mail@knitrowan.com to book a place

Tour of The Clothworkers’ Centre for Textile and Fashion Study and Conservation and visit to K&S show Olympia ? 5 and 6 March 2015

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Moving the stacks takes two

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Ancient shoes being prepared for a V&A exhibition

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Experiments in mending by one of the curators

 

Radio Knit

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ClaudiaIt was lovely to hear Rachael Matthews and Jane Garvey talking in Gripping Yarns on the radio again this week.

This is me looking very young 10 years ago talking about Knit 2 Together on Radio 4’s Today Programme. I went on with Shane Waltener to talk about the exhibition.
I was also invited to go on Claudia Winkleman’s Radio 2 Arts programme with Kaffe Fassett. In the 3 minutes between tracks I tried to teach Claudia to knit. I wonder if she ever kept it up?

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You can count knit-relevant content on the radio on one hand. There is definitely room for a regular knitting broadcast on the radio, something to listen to as we knit. There are plenty of gardening programmes. How about Knitter’s Question Time?

 

 

Agave silk

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Agave plant outside MarrakechIMG_3920Deutsch-Ostafrika, Sisalfabrik

On a recent trip to Marrakech we went out towards the Atlas Mountains and came across this cactus-like plant. It looks a bit like an aloe, but apparently its an agave plant.   Each leaf contains long fibres that are used to make a local silk. Breaking down the fibre, retting or decortication, is probably done in the countryside by machines as in this image of processing sisal from Tanzania from 1906 and 1918.

In the souks in the heart of the medina, piles of this spun yarn are dyed and hung up in the sun to dry on long poles that reach across the streets below. The salesman was confused about someone wanting to buy the yarn rather than one of the woven scarves on sale. I’m sure I paid over the odds, but we did have a tour of the dyers’ quarter. Back home the task is to untangle the huge slippery skein. I can’t wait to knit some swatches and I’ll post them here when they’re done.

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I knit so I won’t kill people

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The Future Starts Here: Rudi Gernreich and André Courèges 1960

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The Novelty Factor: 1970s pop art influences

 

 

 

 

 

 

I haven’t seen the wellbeing of craft expressed quite so succinctly as by Leslie Astor in this lovely bag. People gave me a wide berth all day.
Before they come and drag me away here are just a few images from the new exhibition at the Fashion and Textiles Museum, Knitwear in Fashion: Chanel to Westwood.
Although it couldn’t possibly serve as a chronology of knitwear it is a great edited version through the lens of the collection of Mark and Cleo Butterfield at C20 Vintage Fashion with the eye of curator Dennis Nothdruft and designer Bethan Ojari from the Fashion and Textile Museum. I recommend a visit. There is series of events that go alongside the exhbition including a talk at the Knitting & Stitching Show.
Knitwear: Chanel to Westwood is on at The Fashion and Textile Museum 19 Sept 2014 – 18 Jan 2015. Tuesday to Saturday 11–6pm; Thursday until 8pm; Sunday until 5pm.

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Leslie Astor for Talented Bags from the FTM shop

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This sophisticated top is more like crazy paving when you look closely. The holes are filled with embroidery.