Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"BOUQUET... POLAR SWEATER"

Date

1954

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Length

23.5

Width

15.8

Description

KNITTING PATTERN, PAPER. SHEET FOLDED INTO FOURTHS. FRONT SHOWS BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS OF TWO VARIATIONS OF THE SWEATER WITH DICE AND THISTLES. ALSO DEPICTS SEVERAL SKETCHED SCENES OF MEN AND WOMEN DOING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES LIKE HUNTING AND CURLING. MARKED, "BOUQUET... POLAR SWEATER... PERTERBOROUGH. ONT."

Subjects

TEXTILEWORKING T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

SPORTS

History

ACCORDING TO THE DONOR, WENDY AITKENS IN AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY NICOLE HEMBROFF, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT, IN JULY OF 2011, HER MOTHER, KAY JAMIESON NEE FARRIES, "KNIT ALL OUR SWEATERS, TOUQUES, MITTS AND MOST OF OUR SOCKS. SHE KNIT HEAVY CURLING SWEATERS FOR HERSELF AND DAD. THESE SWEATERS WERE PATTERNED - OFTEN WITH CURLING DESIGNS [ROCKS AND BROOM OR SCOTTISH THISTLE]. DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, KAY KNIT MANY SOCKS TO SEND TO MEN SERVING IN THE MILITARY. YEARS LATER, SHE USED THE SAME PATTERN TO KNIT HIKING SOCKS FOR WENDY. MANY OF THE BABY PATTERNS WERE REUSED WHEN TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS WERE BORN. KAY KNIT SWEATERS ALMOST EVERY YEAR FOR THE GIRLS AS THEY GREW OLDER." AITKENS SAID, "MOST WOMEN KNIT IN MY MOTHER'S TIME. IT WAS JUST SOMETHING YOU LEARNED." IN ADDITION, MAKING CLOTHES WAS LESS EXPENSIVE THAN IT IS NOW. "MY BROTHER ALWAYS HAD PULLOVERS AND MY SISTER AND I HAD CARDIGANS. I THINK SHE EVEN KNIT HERSELF A WOOL SUIT.... THE MITTENS [SHE KNIT] ALWAYS HAD IDIOT STRINGS." ACCORDING TO THE DONOR, KAY JAMIESON WAS A WONDERFUL KNITTER AND SHE HAD VERY EVEN TENSION. SHE COULD ALSO ADJUST A PATTERN TO FIT. AITKENS SAID, " SHE WOULD KNIT WHILE VISITING OR WATCHING TV." JAMIESON MOST LIKELY GOT HER KNITTING SUPPLIES FROM EATONS OR KRESGES. EATONS IN PARTICULAR HAD A NICE SELECTION. WOOL IN A WIDE VARIETY OF COLORS WAS THE MATERIAL SHE WORKED WITH, AS THERE WEREN'T MANY SYNTHETICS AROUND IN THOSE DAYS. THE DONOR WAS TAUGHT TO KNIT BY HER MOTHER ALTHOUGH SHE "DIDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY UNTIL I MET LANNY. I WANTED TO KNIT HIM A FISHERMAN'S SWEATER FOR CHRISTMAS." AITKENS' DAUGHTER ROBIN HAS ALSO CONTINUED ON THE FAMILY TRADITION OF KNITTING. SHE HAS SOME OF JAMIESON'S NEEDLES AND BOOKS. AITKENS SAID, "THE FIRST ITEM SHE KNIT WAS A RED SCARF FOR ME." FOR FAMILY HISTORY SEE P20090030001.

Catalogue Number

P20090031009

Acquisition Date

2009-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail