Knitting Across the Commons
Posted by Penny in Across The CommonsIt’s not hard to spot–the hands facing each other, close above the lap, each holding a needle. Maybe her attention is on the project; or maybe she doesn’t need to look. Sitting, standing, walking; old and young; there’s a whole lot of knitting going on across the Commons. (For a larger collection, check out the Knitting Across the Commons gallery.)
| “Elderly woman, knitting”–clearly a formal portrait, but she’s not about to put down her knitting for the occasion. |  George Eastman House |
| “Mrs. Lewis, Y Borth at 84 Years Old”–notice that, in the time the shutter took to open and close, Mrs. Lewis was completely still except for her hands. |  Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / The National Library of Wales |
| “Herring girls, Scarborough, Yorkshire”–no idle hands for these herring girls, c1910; knitting is a time-honored way to make use of wait time. |  National Maritime Museum |
| “Breien in lagere school in woonwagenkamp”–two girls learning to knit in wartime Holland, 1941; commenters point out that the girls are knitting “English Style,” not “Continental Style”. |  Nationaal Archief |
| “Girls Knitting, 1918″–long before Barbies or Wiis, knitting served the purpose of a social activity for little friends, on a summer day in Ohio. |  UA Archives/Upper Arlington History |
