Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
Historic Treasure of the Week -
June 2, 2002
By Frieda Murphy
Vigo County Historical Society
Knitting one of oldest, most widely practiced needlework skills in the world, part of diverse cultures
Knitting is one of the oldest needlework skills and one of the most widely practiced throughout the world.
Knitting has played a role in many cultures. On Ireland’s Aran isles, wives and mothers knit sweaters for their fishermen made up of their unique family patterns--symbols of rope cables, fields, water and religion that make up the fabric of their lives.
In Scandinavia, bold geometric representations of snowflakes, reindeer and fir trees decorate heavy winter sweaters. On Scotland’s Shetland Islands, the unusually fine wool from native sheep was spun into gossamer shawls treasured worldwide.
In biblical times, it was the man who did the knitting; shepherds knitted while they tended their flocks.
And in the 8th and 9th centuries A.D., nomadic Arab chieftains knitted atop their camels while wandering from oasis to oasis.
Perhaps the most famous knitter is Madam Defarge who, in Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities,” during the French revolution, worked the names of all the traitors into her long piece of knitting.
Knitters range from small girls and boys, laboring over a colorful potholder, to great-grandmothers creating exquisite layettes.
Knitting needles are two straight items made of bone, wood or steel and come in many sizes from a size one to a size 19.
They also come in circular needles in all sizes. Yarns are made of cotton, wool and synthetic fibers such as polyester and acrylic and come in a variety of beautiful colors.
My mother-in-law taught me to knit. She made items for the Red Cross during World War II. She any my two sisters-in-law were expert knitters.
Most knitting requires two needles, but gloves, mittens and socks use four needles.
Pictured is a hand knit, fringed shawl, over which rests another shawl in progress. A pair of wooden knitting needles can be seen protruding from the ball of yarn. Several examples of hand-knit items may be found throughout the museum.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The Web site: http://web.indstate.edu/community/vchs.