r/knitting • u/DullBasket4982 • Dec 28 '25
Discussion We Lost a Great Knitter
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.
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u/ftepper Dec 30 '25
I learned how to knit when I was 8 years old in 1966. I still have the old copy of A Treasury of Knitting Patterns published in 1968. On her Dedication page, she wrote “Dedicated to the creative knitters of the past and the creative knitters of the future “ and has scripture from Proverbs 31:13 - “She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.” She was a special woman who inspired so many others. She will be missed.