The Knitting & Crochet Guild – Passing on the Passion

You may well have met members of the Knitting &Crochet Guild (KCG) at one of the many yarn and craft shows across the UK where they patiently pass on their skills, but we wanted to tell you a bit more about them, especially since we have recently become their first corporate sponsor.

The main aims of the KCG are

·      to showcase their historic collection of knitted and crocheted items, thousands of patterns, and artefacts,

·      to help knitters and crocheters everywhere to learn more about the traditions and techniques of their crafts so that they can develop their skills,

·      and to inspire their members to try new ways of knitting and crochet.

Put simply, they are a unique resource and a gateway to the heritage of knitting and crochet, which is why we are so passionate about helping them.

We have been lucky enough to visit their amazing collection, housed in a warehouse in Yorkshire.  The building itself may not look like much but the racks of plain brown boxes hide a wealth of amazing artefacts dating right back to 1826.  

They have original first issues of Woman’s Weekly, acres of pattern leaflets, a petticoat crocheted by Queen Mary, incredible examples of Bohus garments, outrageous 1960s crochet, super fine Irish lace crochet, and the biggest collection of knitting needles and crochet hooks we have ever seen. A team of dedicated volunteers help to catalogue and care for these historic examples of our craft.

The items from the collection do go out on a trunk show but if you join the KCG, then you can visit the collection in person, where the Guild’s expert archivists will guide you through some of the highlights.

The Knitting & Crochet Guild will be celebrating its 40^th year in 2018 so there couldn’t be a better time to join.  You can find details here.