Knitting as a Feminist Activity.
Knitting was a Male Occupation.
Originally a male-only occupation, the first knitting trade guild was started in Paris in 1527. Knitting became a household occupation with the growing popularity of knitted stockings and by the end of the 1600s, one to two million pairs of stockings were exported from Britain to other parts of Europe.
Knitting was very much dominated and owned by men until the industrial revolution when knitting began to be replaced by factory manufacture and knitting machines and the men went into the factories to use them and dominate the newly emergent industry.
Before this knitting had a varied and colourful history where each fishing village had its own Aran pattern in some places and so any lost fisherman could be returned to his village and identified by the pattern on his jumper even if nothing else was recogniseable.
So, industrial revolution and knitting was taken out of the home but women reclaimed hand knitting and kept it alive.
Then during the years of the second world war there came a Knit for Victory and women once again claimed knitting as their own - using whatever they could to knit items for the war effort. Knitting continued as a women centred craft through to the 1960’s and then it declined during the ’70’s and ’80’s.
Now, though, knitting is in full revival again as people want more natural fibres and a women are in control of the craft again, driving it forward with more exotic yarns and a large number of home based businesses thriving across the internet for both knitting supplies and knitted items.
Hand knitting, abandoned by men in favour of machinery and reclaimed by women - Knitting is a Feminist Activity!
Hi
thank u for this nice information.
may I ask a question?
in my country paying the expenses of the wife or the family is the duty of the husband. if he doesnt do it, the law will punish him. even if the wife works she can keep her income for herself. in return the wife has to obey him in many ways. what about in your country? Is there any must or law about the duties of the spouses?
Comment by melody — August 15, 2008 @ 9:42 pm