News / Isles stage international knitting conference
SOME of the world’s most influential knitters will descend on Shetland in September when the islands host a prestigious international conference on the craft.
The announcement that the second In The Loop conference will be held at Shetland Museum and Archives in September comes days before local councillors approve recommendations to scrap knitting as a primary school subject, after some described it as “a dying art”.
‘In The Loop 2: knitting origins and evolution’ is a five day interdisciplinary conference being hosted with the University of Southampton, who organised the successful first event in 2008.
It will focus on many aspects of knitting ranging from academic research to contemporary art practice, and the organisers hope it will “foster study and promote the revival of the craft”.
Southampton University’s Linda Newington said Shetland was chosen because it has played such a key role in the development of knitting.
“During the first In The Loop conference, Shetland just kept coming up in conversation. The islands are so instrumental in the development of knitting we had to consider a second conference in Shetland,” she said.
Shetland museum’s knitwear curator Carol Christiansen added: “Knitters from all over the world will be in Shetland for the conference and I’m sure everyone will be excited to see the different techniques employed by different cultures.”
The conference runs from 1 to 5 September and will feature a wide range of speakers, knitting exhibitions and activities open to the public, including knitting lounges, book stalls and focus displays detailing both the Shetland and Southampton collections.
Speakers include www.knitonthenet.com editor and A Stitch In Time co-author Susan Crawford; Glasgow-based textile artist Deirdre Nelson (www.deirdre-nelson.com); and Norwegian textile designer and author Annemor Sundbø (www.annemor.com).
Dr Christiansen said: “As part of the conference we wanted to recognise the return of knitting as a social experience, where modern knitters gather in a variety of venues to share ideas, skills, experience and friendship.
“We expect a great deal of networking to take place between visiting and local delegates, creating a real buzz in the museum and archives.”
The final day of the conference will be an optional excursion to the Old Haa in Yell and the Unst Heritage Centre, where delegates will get the chance to see the fine lace for which Unst is famous, with demonstrations by local spinners and knitters.
The co-ordinating team said: “The aim of the conference is to raise the profile of knitting and to encourage further research, both academic and practical, using the collections as a foundation.
“We hope to uncover the social history, recognise the contribution of knitters, and explore the potential contemporary facets of ‘making’.
“We also want to investigate knitting cultures from other parts of the world, to provide a global perspective on how traditional knitting has influenced contemporary makers, artists, and researchers.”
The conference fee is £60, with an early bird booking fee of £45 available until 15 June. Single day bookings are not available and there are additional fees for a conference dinner on the Friday night and the Unst excursion on the Sunday.
A full conference programme and online booking is available from Monday 17 May at www.soton.ac.uk/intheloop, which can be accessed at the museum and archives with the help of staff.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -
- Remove non-local ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
