HISTORIANS at Scottish and American universities have come together to produce a knitting patterns book inspired by University of Glasgow’s architecture – collaborating with Scottish knitwear designers.
Knitting The University Of Glasgow book was compiled by Professor Lynn Abrams and Professor Marina Moskowitz – both historians of Scottish knitted textiles – and Christelle Le Riguer, research co-ordinator at the university’s School of Humanities.
The book is part of the Fleece to Fashion project, which is researching the history of knitted textiles in Scotland from around 1780 to the present day.
Keen knitters will be able to knit a teapot cosy inspired by the windows on the historic main building, a beanie hat based on the iconic Cloisters arches, or a scarf whose design is based on the university spires that pierce the Glasgow skyline.
Glasgow’s Professor Abrams said: “The genesis of this book of knitting patterns, inspired by the built environment of the University of Glasgow, lies in research carried out by historians at the University of Glasgow into the economies and cultures of hand knitting in Scotland from the eighteenth century to the present.
“Scotland’s long tradition of knitwear production is rightly celebrated. It feels fitting therefore to celebrate the beauty of the University of Glasgow’s iconic buildings in knitted form. We hope that this book will be as well received by knitters around the world as our own branded wool – Cochno Wool – was when we launched that in 2018.”
Professor Moskowitz of the University of Wisconsin said: “Our aim as historians is to investigate the place and significance of hand-knitted textiles to Scotland’s economy and culture, in the past, the present and the future.
“Studying knitting can be used to think about the role of craft in linking individual creativity to economic pursuits, local design traditions to national heritage, and domestic economies to the creative economy of Scotland.
“Scotland’s rich heritage of hand-knitted textiles contributes to other national industries, such as tourism and fashion.”
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