Stories from the Road

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The Middle Atlas Skirt Pattern and Intarsia-in-the-Round

When I was doing research for my book, Keepers of the Sheep: Knitting in Morocco’s High Atlas and Beyond, I came across a beautiful pair of leg warmers in the book Berber Costumes of Morocco by Frieda Sorber and Marie-Rose Rabaté. The complex tessellating pattern was intriguing and reminded me of the patterns decorating objects…

Updating Knitting History

The oldest evidence for knitting, thus far, comes from medieval Egypt. These intriguing pieces, which range from technically simple to very advanced leave knitters and researchers with much to consider: Who knit these objects? How did they use them? How did knitting spread? How do these early knitting traditions relate to knitting practices today? By…

Sock-Knitting Techniques from Armenian Knitters: Grafting Without a Tapestry Needle

Armine Gasparyan, a knitter from Hadrut, taught me how to graft stitches together without a tapestry needle. She uses this technique to finish inserted sock heels. As with grafting with a tapestry needle, you will need to have an equal number of stitches on each needle in order to carry out the steps correctly. After…

Keepers of the Sheep: Knitting in Morocco’s High Atlas and Beyond

Keepers of the Sheep: Knitting in Morocco’s High Atlas and Beyond documents the knitting tradition of shepherds in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains. It is the culmination of three years of research, interviews, participant observation, and writing. Seven essays and thirteen patterns give the reader a glimpse of life in a High Atlas village and the…

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