We begin this episode by thinking about the work of people's hands. We wonder about the connections between knitting and history, trade, the industrial revolution, social connection, activism, and new interpretations.

Along the way, we’ll:

• visit Tudor England, when the wool trade was at its economic core and resulted in some pretty intense legislation for common citizens,
• check in on technology like framework knitting and the surprising etymology of the term Luddite,
• observe the long term effects on handicrafts by the Industrial Revolution, and uncover some excesses of the Victorians while we’re at it,
• take knitting forward through wars, the Great Depression, changing technologies such as synthetic fabrics, and rapidly changing relationships between people and the clothes they wear,
• honor knitwear designers who brought the craft forward,
• marvel at the confluence of the Riot grrl, the growth of DIY culture, and the internet that allowed learning, inspiration, and community to flourish,
• connect the dots with examples of craftivism around the world,
• pay tribute to the good done by Brixton’s Craft Forward organization,
• leave breadcrumbs for self study on topics like contemporary fashion,
• share resources for getting involved,
• and … you didn’t think we’d do an episode on knitting and not mention Tom Daley, did you?

This is a very visible episode.

See our SHOW NOTES for photos, articles, and much more.

Episode photo by Steve Forrest from Workers’ Photos Archive.