The Collection

About The Collection

The Knitting & Crochet Guild put on an exhibition of historic and contemporary knitting and crochet as part of the Textiles Arts Festival held in Bradford in March/April 1990. This Festival lasted three weeks and included exhibitions, lectures, seminars, workshops and all kinds of textiles. It was a wonderfully exhilarating and inspiring (but not financially successful) event. There was a feeling at the time that it attracted more American than British visitors! When the Guild exhibition was taken down, some of the Guild members who had lent things for display donated these items to the Guild – and so The Knitting & Crochet Guild Collection was born.

This is a brief attempt to give some indication of the breadth and extent of the Collection.

We have to remember that most knitted and crocheted items were made to be used, and many items therefore show signs of wear and tear and/or damage by moths. This in no way detracts from their importance as part of our domestic and social history.

This in fact is the rationale behind the Knitting & Crochet Guild Collection: to preserve examples of domestic knitting and crochet. The remit has been extended to include one-off items made by designers and students using industrial machines, and examples of crochet garments made in the late 20th and early 21st century sold in High Street stores and now bought in charity shops, as these garments represent an important aspect of the fashions of the day.

Liz Gillett

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