Once Most Prolific Knitter Has Died

Gwen Matthewman, an 86-year-old knitter who once held two world records, has died, according to reports from the Pontefract and Castleford Express.

Matthewman was once the fastest knitter in the world, at 111 stitches per minute (the current record is 118). She was also considered the world’s most prolific knitter after churning out 915 garments in a year using 11,000 ounces of yarn (that’s nearly 690 pounds).

She was born in 1927 and took up knitting at a young age. She was catapulted into stardom in the 1960s, when she was studied by Japanese knitters on a live television show. She also appeared on David Letterman’s and David Frost’s shows, among other appearances around the world, and was known for having knit a sweater for Neil Armstrong before he traveled to the moon.

Her son says she gave up knitting “many moons ago” to spend more time with her family and take up other pursuits including darts and dominoes.

[Photo via the Pontefract and Castleford Express.]

Next Pattern:

The felted slipper craze that began last year doesn’t seem like it’s fading away. The Sailor Slippers, often striped knit and felted slippers made with super bulky yarn, because the project of the moment late last year (check out more knit slipper options in this post all about sailor slippers) and they’re still consistently popular with knitters.

Which makes sense because they are fun and fast to knit, and seeing them go from this giant thing to something that actually fits a foot feels a little magical.

I have always loved felting (in fact my first book was about felting knitting) and it’s always fun for me to see people rediscover this technique.

If you’ve knit enough plain slippers to fit all the feet you know, maybe it’s time to stitch up some tabi style slippers instead.

Maymade Knits has designed these cute tabi ballerina slippers, made with bulky yarn and felted. They’re worked flat at first and then in rounds, and are available in 10 EU sizes (the Internet tells me add 31 to your American shoe size to get your EU size). The designer says the slippers are meant to have a close fit and you should choose a size a little smaller than your foot for the ideal fit.

The pattern includes a video tutorial along with the written pattern.

You can grab this pattern on Ravelry. The same designer has her own version of the striped felted slipper as well, called Sarah’s Striped Slippers. These are worked in super bulky yarn and have a contrasting foot and a striped body. These are knit flat and seamed and there are 7 size options available. Check that pattern out here if you’re looking for a more traditional slipper shape. They also look roomier so you can wear them with socks if you like.

[Photo: Maymade Knits]

Next Pattern:

Have you read?