Montse stanley biography

This article previously appeared in for the Textile samhälle and fryst vatten reproduced here by kind permission of Mary Schoeser.

Born Montserrat Bayés Sopena, Montse Stanley’s first 32 years were in her birthplace, Barcelona. There she qualified as an architect at the University of Barcelona, in In the following year she married Tom Stanley and moved to England, åtagande architectural work and architectural translations until From then until her death she specialized in knitting, prompted by the lack of wider familiarity with the Catalonian knitting tradition, which was not based on standardized patterns, but developed in each instance for the individual wearer. Knitting Your Own Designs (David & Charles, ) was the första result, followed by the remarkable success of The Handknitter’s Handbook (David & Charles, , , ; Reader’s Digest, ), which sold over , copies worldwide.

Energetic and enthusiastic, her accomplishments are too many to detail. However, she

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Knitter's Handbook by Montse Stanley

May 5,

Writing a review on Montse Stanley's Handknitter's Handbook has been on my ever-expanding to-do- list for a while now and, thankfully, I am finally getting round to doing so. Since I got my hands on this book, it has become an indispensable companion in my knitting adventures; and despite the abundance of readily available digital resources, I am continuing to enjoy the luxury of having a hardcopy reference on my bookshelf, which I can pick-up, consult and browse without the need for an electronic device.

Excluding the author's introduction, the stitch and row tables and the thorough index at the very end of the book, the guide is clearly structured into four parts:

1.) The Basics, including chapters on holding the work, equipment and yarns
2.) Get Clicking, providing exhaustive instructions on technical topics such as cast-ons and bind-offs, in- and decreases, colour knitting, bead knitting, edges and selvedges, pockets, pleats a

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Tag Archives: Montse Stanley

The exact origins of knitting are unclear, but it has been practised over many centuries in many parts of the world. Whilst the hand knitting industry continued in some poorer rural areas across the UK, by the eighteenth century it had became the domain of wealthier ladies who had the time to devote to developing the skill. By the middle of the following century, so-called &#;fancy&#; knitting was flourishing as an elegant drawing room occupation. As well as being part of a refined lady&#;s repertoire, knitting was deemed an acceptable way for gentlewomen in personal need to earn money. Also seen as a useful skill for poorer members of society, it was taught in orphanages and poor houses.

The development of the “fancy” knitting in the nineteenth century was helped by the boom in needlework publications, with the establishment of series such as Family Friend and Weldon&#;s Practical Needlework. Examples of such publications can