From time to time the team at the Knitting and Crochet Guild (KCG) Archive arrange "Trunk Shows", where a selection of items from the collection are made available to view by interested groups and organisations throughout the country.
One such occasion a few weeks ago, I accompanied Barbara Smith (Publications Curator) to a trunk show in Harrogate. Barbara had selected items from the archive and prepared a talk for a group on a knitting tour of Yorkshire, organised by Susan Wolcott of Trips for Knitters. My role on this occasion was easy, helping organise and display items for the presentation.
Barbara presenting the Trunk Show talk
Here's a list of the items. Followed below by some photos and a brief description of each.
2. Knitted lace doily
3. Irish crochet bag
4. Irish lace collar
5. Yorkshire Dales gloves
6. "Welcome Home" tablecloth
7. Crochet and knitted rayon jumper
8. 1930's Childs Fair Isle cardigan
9. Royal Baby's Fishermans sweater
10. Marianne Kinzel knitted tablecloth
11. Steve's jumper
12. Pink disco dress
13. Kaffe Fassett waistcoat
14. Cacti
1. Knitted Pence Jug, a container for pennies from the 19th century.
2. Knitted cotton doily with a triangular pattern insert (see image below) called "Print o' the Wave" in Shetland lace. Doily's were popular and knitted throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
3. Irish Crochet Lace was introduced in Ireland by nuns to provide an income for girls and women of poor families in rural areas. Motifs are worked separately and then joined together. Fashionable during the early 20th century unto 1914.
Theatre Bag
Lace Collar
Collar detail
4. Knitted Yorkshire Dales Gloves, similar to the the Sanquhar designs of Dunfries and Galloway The Dales gloves held in the KCG collection are very rare and are featured in the book Old Hand Knitters of the Dales by Hartley and Inglby
5. Crochet "Welcome Home" Tablecloth. Example of patriotic WW1 filet crochet with a military theme.
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| Image courtesy of Barbara Smith |
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| Image courtesy of Barbara Smith |
6. Knitted and crochet rayon jumper typical of knitwear fashion around 1920's. Rayon (usually called art silk) is very slippery to work.
7. Knitted child's Fair Isle cardigan from just before WW2.
8. Royal Baby's Fisherman's jumper knitted in the 1940's with a gansey construction. The pattern was published in the Daily Telegraph, the royal baby probably being Prince Charles.
10. Marianne Kinzel tablecloth. This design is "Rose of England" knitted in cotton.
11. "Steve's jumper". Knitted around the mid 1950's, the pattern is thought to have come from the Radio Times but has not been found by the archive team yet.
12. Pink Disco dress probably published by Patons around 1970. This example came to the collection from a charity shop.
13. Knitted Kaffe Fassett waistcoat. Donated by Kaffe to the collection (and knitted by the man himself) when he became patron of the Knitting and Crochet Guild in 1999.
14. Cacti, these were designed and knitted by Jan Messant.
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| Image courtesy of Barbara Smith |
