The Knitting & Crochet Guild
We are a UK-based charity dedicated to hand knitting, domestic machine knitting and crochet, run by volunteers and supported by subscriptions and donations.
Preservation is one of the key aims of the Knitting & Crochet Guild. The history of our crafts can only be maintained if we preserve what has been created in the past: the objects themselves as well as the methods and techniques used to create them. Our Collection provides inspiration for future projects, whether we are seeking to recreate an item from the past using modern yarns or to find new ways of using forgotten techniques.
About our collection
Briefly, the Collection consists of
- knitted and crocheted items;
- tools and accessories;
- yarns and shade cards;
- publications (books, magazines and pattern leaflets & booklets).
Some items date from before 1900, although the majority is post-1945. It is probably the largest collection of domestically-produced knitted and crocheted textiles and related material in the UK.
We are building an online catalogue of the items in our Collection. This is very much a work in progress, but you can view and search the catalogue at https://kcguild.omeka.net.
May 2019 marked the start of an exciting project, funded by a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to the Collection of the Knitting & Crochet Guild. Made possible thanks to National Lottery players, the grant of £10,000 enabled the Knitting & Crochet Guild (KCG) Collection to become known to bigger audiences, especially those who are not able to visit the Collection in person.