Sep 04 2007
Archivists Make It Last Longer*
I think the people of Chicago were shaking their heads when they saw about 3000 archivists descending upon their city. They did not know what to make of us.
What do these people do?
Does it have something to do with arcs?
Well, no. It has something to do with arranging and describing all sorts of materials – like letters, manuscripts, photographs, artifacts, diaries, and audiovisual materials. So, the bumper sticker they were selling in the SAA store is true: Archivists do make it last longer. At least in the preservation sense. The conference itself was great. The highlight was having the opportunity to hear Studs Terkel speak – he has been collecting oral histories for decades, and even at 95 years old, he can make the whole audience laugh and ponder his words. Amazing. The Chicago History Museum recently opened a small oral history center for Mr. Terkel, and this session was celebrating his long career, as well as sharing information about starting a new archive.
In my own job, I tend to think of myself as a hybrid archivist / librarian. I also do some museum-y things too… and I really like it. It’s a great field and a great profession. It’s just hard to explain exactly what it is… Even more special still, I am a knitting archivist. And it seems that I am not alone (although still a small enough contingent to be deemed special). I was surprised and excited to see how many of us there actually are. Sure, I knew about Nova and Rebecca. They have their profession in their blog title 
Nova, Amy, Rebecca, and some other archivist
…but there are many others out there as well…
…others that knit during conference sessions…
I didn’t catch everybody’s names, BUT, I know that we have mutual friends! This group of knitters was on Mama E’s Sea Socks 2007 cruise, and they are in a knitting group with my oldest online friend (pre-blog days even) Karen at Pink Acrylique! Small world – especially in the knit world. They were working away on their socks while I knit on my own little scarf. Such fun!
I am so close to finishing my lovely Verona shawl. I am excited to show it to you. In the meantime, here is some eye candy – the recent Chicago additions to the stash
Dream in Color Classy, in Happy Forest
Yarn Place Graceful laceweight
Both of these lovelies came from the shop I mentioned in yesterday’s post: Knitwerks. Totally worth a visit when you are in Chicago. I am thinking about a pair of Dashing mitts with the gorgeous green… and the laceweight, well, I just don’t know. Not something too hard, because lace and I don’t have a very good history.
Any easy suggestions?
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*So, Archivists Make It Last Longer, and Librarians Do It By the Books. Or so they say. Ahhh, the double-entendres…
Knitwerks is now on my list as I’ll be in Chicago at a conference in November, and the Dream in Color is unbelievably green!!
so humour me…what exactly is a *knitting* archivist? is that similar to what nancy bush did ala knitting vintage socks?
(that was me that commented on your flickr photo about the multiple strands. that photo still amazes me. you really should print & frame it, it’s fantastic! =])
Amy: well, I was simply referring to the fact that I am an archivist that knits – and on occasion, through this very blog, I write about knitting history, etc. What Nancy did is more like a knitter using an archives… so, she was a researcher using the Weldon collections. Good catch
Thanks for the comment on the photo! it was a fun one to capture. It was taken next to the pond in the backyard.
Glad you had fun! It’s been my experience that conferences are always a wonderful time because of the like-minded people all packed into one place (although I guess this could be the cause for drama, too).
The only double-entrendre my friends and I could come up with for Medievalists was “Medievalists do it with their Saxon,” which makes me smile if only for the incredibly un-sexy imagery.
And nurses do it with patience (patients!)
Gotta love a conference with so many knitters – nice yarn haul too!
I suggest either Leaf Lace by Evelyn Clark or the Forest Canopy Shawl by Susan Lawrence found here: http://knittingasfastasican.com/ – both easy lace shawls with intuitive lace repeats and easy to recognize if you make “boo-boos” before you get too far along!
Yeah! for the knitting macho heros!
Chicago sounds like a fun time and lovely new purchases to add to the stash.
Archivists are the best knitters – at the SAA conference in Boston a few years ago I saw a knitter knitting away at a complicated multi-color project at lightning speed – when the session ended and she stood up I noticed that her entire left arm was in a cast!
Studs Terkel. Talk about your living legends. What a cool guy!
Look at those mighty knitting archivists! I even recognize a Rusted Root there…
Lastly, I second Debi’s Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl suggestion as nearly goof proof lace knitting. After all, I was able to do it. And lovely yarn such as that makes all the difference.
OMG, I am so drooling over that laceweight! You must find the right pattern for it that will show off those gorgeous color transitions. And do not be afraid of lace! It’s nothing more than knits and purls. With all the gorgeous sweaters you knit, I know you have the skills to conquer the lace!
That is so awesome that you got to see Studs Terkel speak. He is one of my heroes. I was just reading his introduction to the collection of essays from the NPR’s This I Believe program. In a world obsessed with “newer is better”, someone has to document, preserve, and share the history that holds us together. Thanks! BTW, love the Dream in Color. I just ordered some in the Aurora colorway.
Wow! Knitters at the conference. Who knew there would be so many???
The yarns are beautiful. I love the purple/gold blend. That will make a lovely shawl or wrap.
Delurking here.
That laceweight is to die for. There’s something about those colours together, they truly sing. A simple shawl like Birch might suit. And it’s not a difficult pattern, once you get going.
And your Dream in Color would make lovely mitts. That yarn is so squishy and soft, a delight for the hands!
By the way, I’ve really enjoyed your fantastic and touching travel adventures in South America.
I love it! Knitting Archivists!
Wow! I think it’s going to take me some time to screw up the courage to get my knitting out at one of my work conferences! Trouble is, as an editor, I’m generally using my hands to take notes
When I say archivist, the wrong thing people usually hear is anarchist. Which makes SAA the Society of American Anarchists!
It just goes to show, knitters are everywhere!
The green is gorgeous!! YUM!!
those will be some great mittens!!! I never knew there were so many archivists out there! Good thing – we have a lot to preserve! It sounds fascinating!
My students think the “Archivists Make it Last longer” slogan is so funny. Double entendres, indeed. So yes, Macho Here, it was so fun hanging out with you during the conference. I had so much fun!
Musicians duet better. Yes, yes we do.
But anyway, that green looks fantastic for Dashing. I’m just finishing up a pair for my brother out of Rowan something or other. Fun and quick (unless you get distracted, like I did) and perfect for a guy who puts off so much heat he rarely even puts on a winter jacket.
I guess temps do it for a short time, huh?
It’s cool that you’re not only a knitting archivist, but that textiles can be incorporated into your work so that you could become a knitting archivist. Were there any sessions about preserving textiles at the conference?
Hearing Studs Terkel must have been very interesting.
Again, great stash acquisitions. It’s nice that you had some compatriots with whom you could explore some local stores.
That green Dream in Color is gorgeous! As for the lace, I’ve been kind of eyeing Pink Lemon Twist’s Hanami stole, which is asymmetrical and changes texture down the length of the stole — it might look cool in a subtly striping lace yarn.
Just passing along a tip I got when I bought Graceful – it tends to be a bit “Cobwebby” since it’s so fine but don’t pull from the center! The store had a salesperson knit up a shawl and she had mucho problems with tangling. The colorways in the line are beautiful and it indeed produces a very light fabric. Can’t wait to see what you make.
Good blog post! Sounds like a wonderful trip with some good knitting time. The green “dream in color” is lovely, as is the laceweight. I love that green, and I Love You!!!!! Mom XXOO
Love that Happy Forest.
I love the picture of the knitters in the conference. Look at them go!
What beautiful yarns especially the Dream in Colour.
Love that all the knitters are just givin’ ‘er during the conference.
I love Chicago – sounds like you had a blast! Gotta love the knitting archivists & librarians.
That green yarn is gorgeous … I am jealous.
I bought a ball of Graceful a few weeks ago for the Hanami shawl.
Studs is 95? wow. glad you enjoyed your conference with so many other knitting archivists.
AAAAAAAhahahahaha. And also? That laceweight is BEAUTEOUS.
Wow, that Yarn Place Graceful lace weight just made me jump out of my chair! I have to have some!
Your pics of knitting archivists just confirms the fact that knitters are taking over the world, one profession at a time!
Wow, those yarn photos are really beautiful. And I am quite behind on my blog-commenting, but I loved reading about all your recent travels!
No suggestions for the laceweight, but dang it sure is beautiful! I’m planning to knit Icarus as my first lace shawl, though I haven’t started it yet. I’ll definitely let you know how it goes.
oh, i’m so bummed i missed you! i ended up being out of town, catching up with an old friend. sounds like amy took good care of you, though! i hope you will come back to our fair city again.
I’ll second Alice’s suggestion of Icarus. If you want to see how that colorway (3627) in GRACEFUL is working up in that pattern check out http://no-blog-rachels-blog.blogspot.com/2007/07/decadence-and-lacy-progress.html .
Diane
Hey Lolly! I just finished my Icarus in the Graceful – same color as yours (Diane mentioned it in her comment on 9/14). You can see how it looks finished on my blog (http://no-blog-rachels-blog.blogspot.com). It’s lovely to knit with – the only thing I recommend is that you use sharp-pointed needles with the yarn – I used Addi lace needles, and others say Knitpicks needles are good too.
Don’t worry about the lace thing- this was my first real lace project and it really wasn’t hard at all.
Wow — I had no idea there were so many archivists knitting at SAA this year! Next year I am bringing a project for sure.