Knit So As To Turn Water: The History of New England’s Maritime Knitting

Knit So As To Turn Water: The History of New England’s Maritime Knitting

It followed the fish, the flight paths of immigrants, the sea-lanes of war: the knitted clothing of New
England reflects maritime cultures the world over. Rich with origin mythology and salty with sailors’
yarns, garments like nippers, half-handers, and the infamous fisherman’s sweater each hold a romantic
yet real place in our coastal history. Explore knitting a WWI submariner’s outfit with the Navy League!
Imagine learning to knit with a pair of whalebone needles you carved yourself! Join Rebecca Bayreuther
Donohue, historian and knitter, for an ode to wool and marvel once again at how the sea connects us all.
A PowerPoint chronology comes to life with examples of breed-specific yarns and recreated garments.

Rebecca Bayreuther Donohue of Niantic has knit historical garments while aboard New Bedford whalers,
Grand Banks fishing schooners, and O’Day Mariners. After more than 20 years at a major Connecticut
maritime museum, she co-founded the Dirty Blue Shirts living history collective, whose participatory
programs encompass everything from historic fashion and foodways to maritime culture and shipboard
skills. Rebecca’s personal interest in historical hand-knitting stems from always being cold, no matter
what century she’s interpreting. With all the plastic in today’s oceans, she thinks it’s time to revisit wool
as the preeminent fiber of sustainability, versatility, and global community.

Questions? email jkallay@burnhamlibrary.org