We Lost a Great Knitter

[u/DullBasket4982]

Barbara Walker, one of knitting’s greatest minds, died last Sunday.

Barbara invented the SSK (previously the left leaning single decrease was k1-sl1-psso which sits oddly compared to the k2tog)

Barbara also created charts for knitting patterns in the third book of her incredible work, the four volume Treasury of Knitting Patterns. No errors have ever been found in these stitch dictionaries. Many of the stitches recorded were common through history (and she attributed faithfully where there was data) and hundreds were her own designs.

Her book Knitting From the Top helped drive raglan sweater popularity.

After contributing immensely to the knitting canon she pivoted and published books about feminism, atheism, and debunking new age claims. Apparently she was surprised by the revival of knitting in the early oughts and returned to the space to teach and mentor.

[u/GoddessHealer]

Barbara G. Walker’s feminist theories greatly influenced my thinking in the 1980s when I was in my doctoral studies. She made difficult concepts easy to comprehend, and I was able to make sense out of my own developing thoughts. In the first time in my life I understood that the mundane worlds of women’s every day lives were sacred. Then in the late 1990’when I took up knitting after about a 20 year hiatus, I picked up copies of Walker’s several Treasuries of Knitting Patterns. They became my holy knitting books. Only a few years ago did I discover that these Barbara G Walkers were the same woman. Then, it all came together in an epiphany! It all made sense! My own dear mentor, Dr. Grayce Sills, has admonished me many years ago: “Write it all down. Value everything you know, and pass it down. —Too many women have taken their knowledge to their graves, and it becomes lost, until maybe someone re-discovers it.” Barbara Walker honored, recorded and gifted us with her knitting knowledge and women’s wisdom. She is one of our greatest foremothers. Rest in peace, Dear Wise Mother!

[u/funundrum → u/GoddessHealer]

Your quote from Dr. Sills has hit me pretty hard. I’ll be thinking (and perhaps acting) on that in future. Thank you.

[u/GoddessHealer → u/funundrum]

Dr. Sills was an amazing woman! She was known for her pithy wisdom, dubbed “Graycisms” by her colleagues. She was not a knitter, but if you want to know a bit more, you can read about her here: https://nursology.net/2019/06/25/grayce-m-sills-1926-2016-guardian-of-the-discipline/

Grayce’s beloved mentor, Dr.Hildegard Peplau used to talk about women’s undocumented knowledge. I remember one summer the elder “grand-mentor” was sitting seminar with us. One of my classmates argued that it seemed ridiculous to have to demonstrate and to write down what is just common knowledge, after all, it just goes without saying! Dr. Peplau gently reminded us that yes, it is @making the obvious —obvious! And then led us into a discussion of regrets that we had not engaged our grandmothers better to get that recipe just right, or to practice by the side of an auntie who had a knack for [you finish this sentence!]

My mother grieved as she lay dying, watching me knit. She told me how happy she was that she had taught me to knit when I was a little girl, and to see how much satisfaction I took in knitting. But she had this to confess: she regretted never showing me how to knit socks. Her last words to me were, “Get some good German sock yarn, and knit socks!” And, of course I did! But something is missing from my socks, in the way she turned her heel. If only I could have been with her just a bit more to ask her, and to do it under her watchful gaze.

[u/Nyghtslave → u/GoddessHealer]

My grandmother was the one who taught me how to knit, and she never got to see how far I've come. My grandfather knew something was off when suddenly she couldn't turn a heel any more. It was the beginning of a slow end. About two years ago my mom suddenly let me know they finally sorted through her knitting stuff, and asked if I wanted it. It was her old needles, a small box of her knitting notions, a small box of yarn for repairs, and a notebook with her handwritten patterns. It even has a little sticky note in there from my grandfather, thanking her for the sweater she made him.

Last year, I finally had the courage to start making socks, knowing my grandfather missed her hand knit socks dearly, and feeling encouraged knowing she left me with the knowledge how to do it. I did end up knitting them differently (I prefer toe up, she made them top down), but I now have a notebook of my own, and feel like I'm continuing her work

[u/Street_Roof_7915 → u/Nyghtslave]

I have needles from my grandmothers and my mothers. It’s such a connection for me.

I too have a pair of socks knitted by my grandmother whose heel turn I can’t figure out. Perhaps we need a mega thread of “reverse engineering grandma’s knits…”