Ethnic Knitting: Inspiration

I love ethnic/folkwear type designs ... the versatility, history and beauty of the garments makes them an amazing resource for knitwear inspiration. A place to find lots of great ideas is the Folkwear website with their luscious patterns.

Here's part of an email I got today from the owner of Folkwear ... I've just attached the part where Kate describes some of the exhibits of costume/folkwear available around the country:

If you are planning any vacation trips, perhaps you will be able to see an inspiring exhibition or festival. Some events of interest include:

• Clothes Make the Man: The Colonial Gentleman in New England, at Historic Deerfield (Massachusetts), through August 17. www.historic-deerfield.org.
• The Finishing Touch: Accessories from the Bolivian Highlands. Includes belts, bags, and other items. Through September 18. Also, BLUE, an exploration of the creation and meaning of the color blue on textiles, with emphasis on indigo. Follows last year's exhibit on RED. At the Textile Museum in Washington, DC, through September 18. www.textilemuseum.org.
• Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy. Exhibit includes movie costumes, haute couture, and high-performance sportswear, until September 1. Also, Radiance from the Rain Forest: Featherwork in Ancient Peru, brilliantly-colored feathers in high-status apparel and accessories, until September 1. At The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. www.metmuseum.org.
• For Tent and Trade: Masterpieces of Turkmen Weaving. Tribal carpets, bags, tent and camel trappings from Central Asia. Through September 7. At the de Young Museum in San Francisco. www.famsf.org/deyoung.
• Pride and Practicality: Japanese Immigrant Clothing in Hawaii, through September 27. At the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, in Honolulu. www.jcch.com.
• Belle Epoque Brides, an exhibit of Gilded Age (1875-1914) gowns at the Kent State University Museum in Kent, Ohio, through January 4, 2009. Also, BOLD: Rudi Gernreich, fashions by a controversial 20th century designer, through May 31, 2009. www.kent.edu/museum.
• History in Every Step, an exhibit of historic footwear and walking sticks from American and other cultures at the Charleston (S.C.) Museum, through September 1. Also, Bustles, Bicycles, and Ballgowns: Beginnings of Change in Late 19th Century Clothing, through January 4, 2009. www.charlestonmuseum.org.

Unfortunately, many of my "trips" will need to be virtual, but I might be able to catch a few IRL! I'll post those that I'm able to visit.

So how 'bout you? Up for a field trip? If you go visit any of these IRL, please post in the comments so I can live vicariously!