One of my favourite knitting websites amongst the billions is a bit unexpected. It isn’t some trendy yarn shop, or an up-to-the-minute pattern site. It is actually the website for London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.
Those of you who have been to the museum will know of the fabric-flavoured treasures it holds, and will have wandered for hours through its halls ooohing and ahhing at fashion from all over the world, from Kylie’s miniscule gold hot pants to Cellini’s Head of Medusa. But what they have on show isn’t even the tip of the knitting needle. Click on the knitting link in the fashion section of their website and suddenly it is like you have entered a Narnia-like wardrobe of knitting goodies…
The V&A’s list of knitting stuff can keep you surfing for hours, days, weeks even. So it is hard to get it all in here. I have picked out some of my favourite bits for you to get a flavour.
The most obvious will be the free patterns. And not just any old patterns, but old patterns (if you get my meaning). The V&A’s treasure trove of vintage patterns range from classy to downright ridiculous, but all are fascinating. See what kind of projects wartime knitters got their needles into.
Other free patterns include a rather sinister pattern for a doll’s outfit, and an occasional classic Rowan pattern. But it doesn’t stop there. There is a page for uploading your creations for the world to see, a page listing knitting podcasts (who knew so many knitters were broadcasting?), a page of knitting links leading you all over the net, fascinating knitted objects that the V&A has somewhere in its vast collection, and an amazing amount on the history of knitting and regional knitting styles around the UK.
I would recommend making sure you have time on your hands before you embark on a journey into the V&A’s website depths. You are going to need it.
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