New Publications
Strawn's Knitting Patterns
Her Knitting History Publications
Travel and Speaking
New Publications
Strawn, S. M. (2009). American women and wartime hand knitting, 1750-1950. In M. D. Goggin & B. T. Tobin (Eds.), Women and the material culture of needlework and textiles, 1750-1950. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate Publishing. In this article, I write about knitting as a topic worthy of scholarship.
Strawn, S. (2010). Especially for the baby: Amana star-pattern knitted bonnets. In Knitting Traditions. Loveland CO: Interweave Press, 44-46. Knitters loved this special publication so much it sold out quickly but has been reprinted and is available online at interweavestore.com.
Strawn, S. (March/April 2010). In appreciation of potholders. PieceWork, 18-21. A history of an everyday textile, potholders, with photos and vintage advertisements from my extensive collection of embroidered, crocheted, knitted potholders—plus the pattern I worked out for an 1897 ear-of-corn potholder and suggestions about the relationship between potholders and 20th-century women’s history.
Strawn, S. (January/February 2010). A child’s mitten from sixteenth-century London. PieceWork, 36-37. A small child’s mitten excavated in the City of London and exhibited at the Museum of London as a rare survivor of medieval/early renaissance knitting inspired this glimpse into late medieval history. I worked out the pattern for different sizes of the mitten, which, interestingly, is knitted from fingertips upward (not for the knitter who feels clumsy with tiny needles and small numbers of stitches worked in the round).
Strawn, S. (2009). Keep them warm wristlets. Interweave Knits Accessories 2009. Loveland CO: Interweave Press, 120, 127. This special publication has plenty of knitting projects worked with small amounts of yarn.
Works in Progress
Strawn, S. (November/December 2010). Corticelli Silk: “Simply another name for perfection.” PieceWork, in progress. I’m investigating the history of this line of knitting yarn,
Strawn, S. (November/December 2010). A Corticelli Silk pattern: Ladies fancy mittens to knit. PieceWork, in progress.
Strawn, S. (November/December 2010). Wool from the Great Plains: The Brown Sheep Company. PieceWork, in progress. Back toward the West, where my heart is, I’m pursuing an article about the history of Brown Sheep knitting wool. I toured this yarn factory some years ago. Who knew it was so interesting?
Page top
Susan Strawn's Knitting Patterns
Strawn, S. M. (January/February 2009). Fingerless mitts: A new pattern from wartime shooting mittens. PieceWork, 32-33
Strawn, S. M. (November/December, 2008). A baby soaker to knit. PieceWork, 19-20.
Strawn, S. M. (Spring, 2006). Navajo-Churro handbag to knit. Knit It!, 24.
Strawn, S. M. (Fall, 2005). Cozy socks. Knit It!, 20.
Strawn, S. M. (Fall, 2003). Expanding the digital edges. Surface Design Journal, 12-15.
Strawn Bailey, S. (November, 2000). Especially for the baby: Amana star pattern bonnets. Piecework, 44-46.
Page top
Publications about Knitting History
Strawn, S. M. (January/February 2009). An unfinished sweater: The wartime knitting of Mrs. Wardi Kalil. PieceWork, 30-33.
Strawn, S. M. (November/December, 2008). The baby soaker: A most humble handknit. PieceWork, 16-19.
Strawn, S. M. (September/October, 2008). Traveling stitches. PieceWork, 16-21.
Page top
Travel and Speaking
Upcoming events
Spring 2011: Susan will be leading a workshop for the Windy City Knitting Guild about knitting an updated version of baby soakers (based on her PieceWork article). Information will be available through the Windy City Knitting Guild newsletter next spring.
In September 2010: Susan will travel to the Shetland Islands to present a paper about American women and wartime knitting at In the Loop, a knitting symposium held at the Shetland Museum.
History
Madison Knitters Guild, Madison WI (April 13, 2009)
Textile recycling. Global Warming Café, Dominican U. River Forest IL (April 3,2009)
Wartime knitting as gendered occupation. First Annual Joint Gender & Women Studies Mini-Conference. Concordia University Chicago, River Forest IL (March 29, 2009)
“Making a separate peace”: Women and wartime knitting in America. Center for Women’s Studies. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Milwaukee WI. (March 25, 2009)
Milwaukee Knitting Guild, Milwaukee WI (March 10, 2009)
West Suburban Knitting Guild, Hinsdale IL (January 20, 2009)
Oak Lawn Public Library, Oak Lawn IL (November 13, 2008)
Service learning focused on recycling and disposal of textiles and clothing. Educators for Responsible Apparel Business, Schaumburg IL (November 2008)
Knitting nations: The history of traditional stitches from Norway to America. Grace Rikansrud Memorial Lecture, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Decorah IA (October 24, 2008)
Windy City Knitting Guild, Sulzer Public Library, Chicago IL (October 21, 2008)
History of Dress in Tudor England, London, England (October 14, 2008)
Nichols Public Library, Naperville IL (September 30, 2008)
Churchmouse Yarns and Teas, Bainbridge Island WA (July 17, 2008)
Frankfort Public Library, Frankfort IL (May 13, 2008)
Lansing Public Library, Lansing IL (May 8, 2008)
Palos Heights Public Library, Palos Heights IL (April 27, 2008)
Transitions in traditional dress of Amana women. Dominican University Faculty Seminar Series (April 2008)
New Holland Public Library, New Holland IL (April 17, 2008)
Oak Park Public Library, Oak Park IL (January 17, 2008)
Returning Navajo-Churro sheep for Navajo weaving. Seattle Textile and Rug Society, Seattle WA (July 2007)
Austin, J., & Strawn, S. (April 2009). Historical and cultural significance of jewelry in Britain from prehistoric times to the 1700s. Paper presented at the Dominican University Undergraduate Research and Creative Investigations (URCI), River Forest, IL.
Neumayer, E., & Strawn, S. M. (April 2009). Recreating traditional trachten for three Donauschwaben women. Honors paper presented at the Dominican University Undergraduate Research and Creative Investigations (URCI), River Forest, IL.
Strawn, S. M. (November2008). Incorporating material culture analysis into the course intensification option for historical/cultural textile and apparel courses. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Textile and Apparel Association, Schaumburg, IL.
Neumayer, E., & Strawn, S. M. (November 2008). Recreating traditional trachten for three Donauschwaben women. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Textile and Apparel Association.
Kamm, C., & Strawn, S. M. (April 2008). Replicating traditional church garments of Amana women. Undergraduate Research and Creative Investigations, Dominican University.
Neumayer, E., & Strawn, S. M. (April 2008). Recreating three trachten for Donauschwaben women. Undergraduate Research and Creative Investigations, Dominican University.
Strawn, S. M. (November 2007). Transitions in traditional religious dress in a communalistic society. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Textile and Apparel Association, Los Angeles, CA.
Strawn, S. M. (November 2007). Incorporating ethical dialogs into undergraduate textile science courses. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Textile and Apparel Association, Los Angeles, CA.
