In The Loop

Knitting Reference Library

Winchester School of Art

Winchester School of Art Library is one of five site libraries comprising the University of Southampton Library.  It is a specialist art and design library which supports learning, teaching and research.  One of its strengths is its focus on textiles, textile art, fashion and dress history.  The library collections have been significantly enriched by the addition of three distinctive knitting collections acquired from renowned practitioners and scholars in the field.

Our aim is to encourage a range of users from different backgrounds working in a variety of contexts to access and engage with these collections in support of education and research.  The collections also have the potential to contribute to educational programmes and research projects in related areas as well as in art and design, such as social history, gender studies, manufacturing history, anthropology and sports history.

A selection of the 19th century knitting manuals that are held in the Richard Rutt collection, which forms part of the Knitting Reference Library, have been digitised and are now available to view online.