What is the earliest evidence for knitting? This is a question whose answer will evolve over time as interest in knitting research grows and brings more material to light. Many books that cover this topic (including my own – Keepers of the Sheep: Knitting in Morocco’s High Atlas and Beyond) follow in the footsteps ofContinue reading “The Earliest Evidence for Knitting… so far”
Tag Archives: history
Marashi Aseghnagortsutyun (Marash Embroidery) Part I: more evidence for Armenian and Egyptian connections?
Back in November, I went to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford to see a few textiles in their collection that are not on display. Before my appointment, I toured the textile room (Gallery 5, Floor -1) where I was very excited to see two fabric scraps (below) with a unique type of embroidery that IContinue reading “Marashi Aseghnagortsutyun (Marash Embroidery) Part I: more evidence for Armenian and Egyptian connections?”
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? ByContinue reading “Updating Knitting History”
Time Traveling to a Green Sahara
“You see those tiny rocks there? Those used to be plants,” said Dr. Paul Adderley, a soil scientist who was giving me a tour of Gobero, a 10,000 year old world in the middle of Niger’s Sahara desert. We were standing on a low ridge looking across the barren earth stretching far beyond the horizon. AsContinue reading “Time Traveling to a Green Sahara”
106 Meters from the Road 