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Testing Huron County Arcott wool
In preparation for choosing a wool for the reproduction of Herbert Wheeler’s knitted gloves, I’ve been knitting up a few test swatches using a locally produced wool, a Huron County Arcott. The sport-weight wool is a medium grade with a tendency to create a natural nap on the surface after wet finishing, according to Deborah Livingston-Lowe, experienced weaver, textile designer and owner of Upper Canada Weaving. Upper Canada Weaving was founded in 2010 by Deborah to reproduce 19th century Ontario textiles such as coverlets, rag carpets and linens. I can tell you, fellow knitters, that Huron Arcott, sourced from a Brussels-area farm and purchased through Upper Canada Weaving, is an…
- Historic Textiles in Our Local Museums, Knitting, museum reproduction, Needlework, Needlework History, Pattern Recreation
The Huron Wristers: a story of connections part 2
Continued from The Huron Wristers: a story of connections part 1 Was there a family tie to either Estonia or the British Isles? The answer would help to identify the glove pattern perhaps. When an instagram post by Best Dishes, a Goderich business owned by Sarah Anderson, appeared in my feed one day identifying the wristers pattern as based on a family heirloom, chance had dropped the perfect opportunity. It was time to connect. A couple messages back and forth and the story unfolded… History of the Wheeler Family Sarah as it turns out, is the daughter of Richard Anderson, great-nephew of Herbert Wheeler. Richard sent the following information about…
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Rare Stitches: Knitting Inspired by Illuminated Manuscripts
I recently missed this very fascinating virtual knitting event hosted by McGill Library, Rare Stitches: Knitting Inspired by Illuminated Manuscripts. I would have loved to have attended, but I can enjoy watching and rewatching the video… and so can those stitchers out there into history and needlework. In the workshop, historian and knitter Kristen Howard shared her work to bring medieval manuscripts to life by exploring the history of illuminated manuscripts and how to transform rare books into handknits. Howard is a historian, knitter, and Master of Information Studies student at McGill University. She completed a PhD in History from the Division for Late Medieval and Reformation Studies at the…
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Blyth Knit & Natter
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Bakers Dozen Bonus deal from Stitches with a Twist
Stitches With a Twist in Blyth, a yarn store with so much more, is offering a great deal on yarn: the Bakers Dozen Bonus. Buy 12 balls of yarn and get the 13th free! Stop by and pick up your Bonus card today! Stitches With a Twist is located at 404 Queen St. Blyth, Ontario. Call (519) 523-9449 or email info@stitcheswithatwist.ca for more info.
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Textile art classes at FACTS, Blyth
- Lacemaking, Needlework, Needlework Classes, Needlework History, Needlework history resources, Stitching Inspiration
Lace Museum offering online workshop in Halas Lace
The Lace Museum is offering an online workshop in Halas Lace starting September 24. For more information and registration: https://www.thelacemuseum.org/workshops.html Halas lace was first made in 1902 in Kiskunhalas, Hungary. Halas is a needlelace worked with fine thread, and the pattern motifs outlined with thick thread, instead of buttonholed as in other needlelace. It has an Art Nouveau look. The darning stitch is worked in the solid design areas to give the effect of finely woven cloth and there are over 60 types of filling stitches. The Lace Museum is also offering online workshops in Turkish Needle Lace (Igne Oya), Bedfordshire Bobbin Lace, Exploring Grounds with GroundForge and more! Learn more…
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Stitching inspiration this week: Yarnspirations
Looking for stitching inspiration this week? Check out Yarnspirations! This great online resource by Spinrite Yarns offers up a whole lot of yarn & stitching ideas to spur your needlework creativity. And their community page provides how-to videos, pattern suggestions, and profiles of their Stitch Ambassadors. Have a look here: https://www.yarnspirations.com/ca-en/community/stitch-ambassadors
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The Dress of Many Patterns – a citizen science project
Hey, local Huron County stitchers! Would you be interested in a ‘citizen science project’ focusing on needlework history? What would you think of this idea: creating a number of vintage needlework samplers inspired by historic needlework items from the collection of the Huron County Museum in Goderich and then piecing those samplers into a piece of wearable art… a wedding dress?! The wedding dress design will be based on an Edwardian Tea Dress-style dress originally worn by Francis Mason Watson (1890 – 1918) a former resident of Blyth, Ontario. The shawl and dress will be made up of vintage pattern samplers (swatches) based on textile items in the Huron County…
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Dress of Many Patterns – lace pattern #1
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Blyth Knit & Natter
My local yarn shop Stitches with a Twist moved their Knit and Natter night outdoors! The session has changed it’s start time to 6 pm. Bring your project or finished creation and join them evening of stitching and chatting! Visit the Blyth Lions Park on Gypsy Lane at 6 pm on Wed., Aug. 26! Check out their website here: http://stitcheswithatwist.ca/
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The story of blue
From www.greatbigstory.com — Real indigo-dyed clothing is not like the blue you know. Richer than the chemical blues used on most fabrics today, real indigo dye comes from a plant and has a surprising range of qualities: on fabric it is antibacterial, flame resistant and repels odor and dirt. With roots in Japanese culture dating back to the 1600s, indigo-dyed fabrics were worn under the armor of samurais to help keep bacteria from wounds. Today, five farmers keep the tradition of growing indigo alive in Tokushima, Japan. Your blue jeans don’t hold a flame to Japanese indigo. The true blue dye makes clothes fire resistant, bacteria resistant, and was once…
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Huron Wristers and the Colours of Huron
- Knitting, museum reproduction, Needlework, Pattern Recreation, Test-Stitchers, Updates, vintage reproduction
Huron Wristers – an update
I was working at finalizing & editing my pattern for the Huron Wristers, a pair of fingerless gloves. Gotta get it ready for a test stitcher or two. Wool is from Steele Wool Farm . Colourwork is based on a pair of knitted gloves in the collection of Huron County Museum.
inspired by vintage needlework
