Dorothy Reade is a knitter you've probably never heard of, but you certainly should have. Reade was principally a lace knitter in the 1950s through the 1970s, and though she's not as well known as contemporaries like Elizabeth Zimmermann and Barbara Walker, she probably should be.
That's the opinion of Donna Druchunas, who got access to Reade's papers and contacted designers of today to use Reade's lace patterns in new projects, which are compiled in Successful Lace Knitting: Celebrating the Work of Dorothy Reade.
Introducing Dorothy Reade
It isn't clear why Reade isn't as celebrated as some of the other knitters of her generation, but Reade easily could have been as influential as Zimmermann or Walker. Her innovation was using charts to illustrate knitting patterns rather than ever actually writing out descriptions of how to work her patterns in words.
Just as Zimmermann was working to free knitters from published patterns by empowering them to do the math to make perfectly fitting garments, Reade sought to show knitters that they could knit even complex projects by following simple charts that were much more likely to be error free than written out instructions.
She even thought that beginning knitters could easily learn to knit lace once they understood how to read a chart and their knitting, because the chart showed a literal representation of what the knitting was supposed to look like, Druchunas writes.
In addition, Reade worked with anthropologists and native Alaskans to develop patterns using qiviut and establish the Musk Ox Producers Cooperative, which still exists to help native women produce and sell garments using the exquisite fiber.
She was also a passionate spinner, known for spinning fiber so fine should could make a mile of yarn -- that's 1,760 yards -- out of an ounce of fiber, though she did say a half mile of yarn per ounce was more practical to knit with.
"Her yarns were so fine that she could fit 500 stitches on a 10-inch straight knitting needle," Druchunas writes, noting that she once knit a lace mantilla in mile-per-ounce handspun merino that ended up weight just five-eighths of an once!
She also contributed lace patterns to Walker's stitch treasuries and had run-ins with Zimmermann on what the true opposite of knit 2 together is (she said knit 2 together through the back loop).
Reade published three books during her life and left behind manuscripts for others that were never published, but luckily for us the idea of charted knitting took off and developed into the charts so many of us know and use today.
The Patterns
Successful Lace Knitting includes 20 patterns from a range of designers, all of which are based on Reade's original lace patterns that were first published in her book 25 Original Knitting Patterns. There is one project in the book, the Handspun Medallion Stole, that was designed and knit by Reade but remained unfinished when she died.
Other patterns include diamonds, chevrons, large-scale medallions, even cats inspired by Peruvian weaving. These patterns have been adapted to socks, sweaters, table runners, blankets, tops and more, all with updated charts using the modern symbol conventions rather than Reade's originals.
These patterns show the diversity of what can be done with lace and eyelets. In some cases the lace dominates with an allover pattern; other times it is more subtle, just a small element of a project. But in all cases the spirit of the original is preserved.
Some of my favorites in the book include the bulky Eyelet Diamond Stole (it's paired with a tank top worked in a lighter weight yarn); the pretty Lace Mesh Triangular Shawl; another bulky project with diamond motifs, the Filigree Diamonds Afghan; the garden-inspired Trellis and Flowers Stole, using three different lace patterns worked in panels of different colors; and the bright and floral Revelry in Bloom Top.
Bottom Line
Knitters who aren't as confident in their ability to knit exclusively from a chart as Reade was will be happy to know that written instructions are given for the basic construction elements of each pattern as well as the charts for the lace.
Successful Lace Knitting is a good introduction to lace knitting for knitters who might not have tried it before. There are patterns where lace is only a small element, others that use thicker yarns that make it easier to learn the techniques. And there are not a lot of fancy techniques used in these patterns; all of them are explained in the beginning of the book for knitters who might not have seen them before.
This book provides knitters a great opportunity to learn a bit of our history that might otherwise have been lost and to play with some fun lace motifs in different ways.
Publication date: May 2010
