Lessons From the Past

1969, Bernhard Ulmann Co.

I'm one of those lucky knitters to have had the good fortune of inheriting my grandmother's old knitting books and magazines. I'll never forget the day when my grandmother gave me her old pattern books, needles and notions all neatly assembled in the most charming retro flower-print bag. To a non-knitter, this bag would have looked like some old junk, but to me, it was if I had found a rare and precious treasure. I found pattern leaflets displaying primitive line drawings with black-and-white photos featuring waif-fy Twiggy-esque models.

When I was a child, I remember the many garments and accessories my grandmother made for us kids. From 1950-1970, knitting was so popular you could find patterns in the local newspaper. And by looking through Grandma's collection, I could clearly see how zealous she was in her knitting ambitions because many of her purchased patterns were unopened! What an honor it was to open them up after they had set in a closet for over 40 years. It was a momentous moment indeed!

Reprinted with permission by Coats & Clark

When I started my journey as a knitter, these books arrived in my life at just the right time. They helped ignite in me that special passion that all knitters share, and they've kept that flame burning for several years now. These books and leaflets are more than mere paper with copy; they have an energy all their own and a story to tell about the past. They are special artifacts that I will always treasure and hold near to my heart.

Now that my grandmother has approached the age of 90, knitting has become a thing of the past. I know that she can live vicariously through me, knowing that she gave me the gift of being an insatiable knitter like she once was.

Let's keep the fire burning!

Kara Gott Warner
Editor, Creative Knitting magazine

Kara is a graduate of Parsons School of Design and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. As a freelance illustrator, she specialized in technical illustrations for knitting, crochet and other craft books for major publishers. In 2002, Kara began designing patterns for her independent collection of knitting patterns, sold under the igottknits label. Her patterns are sold exclusively on Annie's Attic and e-PatternsCentral.com.

Kara first learned how to knit at age 12 from her grandmother, but not until her early adult life did she come back to the craft with reckless abandon. When Kara rediscovered knitting, she used it as a much-needed escape from her hectic life working as a designer in New York City. She quickly fell in love with knitting, and her needles haven't stopped clicking since. As editor, Kara first joined DRG publishing in 2007 as a freelance editor and produced a variety of hardcover knitting books. In June 2010, Kara joined the DRG family full-time, as executive editor of Creative Knitting magazine and knit publications.

Kara's knitwear designs have been published in Creative Knitting, Vogue Knitting, Interweave Knits and Family Circle Easy Knitting. She is also the author of The Divine Drop Stitch.

You can follow Kara on her blogging adventures at Splendid Sticks.

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