The Knitting & Crochet Guild Collection: A handmade legacy?

Abstract

This position paper describes the Collection of the Knitting & Crochet Guild (KCG), a UK-based membership organization, and the ways in which engagement and interaction are undertaken within it. The Collection is conceptualized as a repository of the handmade, and therefore of interest and relevance to craft practitioners. First, an outline of the Collection’s history is given including the ways in which items have entered the Collection and shaped its composition. Second, the article describes the ways in which diverse audiences, including KCG members and students, engage with the Collection, both physically and digitally, drawing upon the quality of these interactions taken from visitor feedback and selected student experiences. Third, the status of the Collection as an embodiment of the skill, time and labour of the makers is discussed and the future potential for further interactions from contemporary students and makers.