So, as the kids say, I have some news.
Connoisseur's Book of Silk Fragments - An album of twenty pages; silk, ramie, various metal threads; Japan, late 19th century; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
In recent years I have had to turn down several job opportunities relating to academic work on hand-knitting.
I did not feel comfortable giving papers, writing academic articles, or chairing panels at various conferences as they related to knitted textiles, textile history, or hand-knitting. I have done these things previously, but I have increasingly felt I did not have the right foundation to do some specific aspects of my day job.
Starting January 2023, I will begin a part-time degree in Art History and Visual Cultures. It will not be my first degree but unlike my degree in English Literature and Critical Theory, this course will relate directly to my day job. Hand-knitting does not exist in isolation, and I want to learn more about the contexts that surround our craft.
(Although I’d argue that my English degree helps with pattern writing, research, and communication)
I will be studying with The Open University as it allows me to study remotely while I continue to work as a designer, writer, and educator.
While the curriculum does not include hand-knitting, the first few modules will look at concepts you will have encountered in my writing already: tradition, cross-border influences, and the importance of places. I am very excited about learning about these ideas in a academic milieu - and hopefully incorporate them into my ongoing work.
Long-term I hope it will strengthen me in my day-job pursuits and enable me to accept future job opportunities with much greater confidence. I might go on to pursue more traditional modes of studying, but for now I am extremely excited about this.
Ariadne on Naxos; by John Edward Southall, 1925; Birmingham Museums Trust.