Knitting

Dear Friends,

It is unthinkable for me to discontinue tradition, I am merely allowed to add to it.

Ms. Galina Dacheva

Fashion Designer

We can say with a fair amount of certainty that humanity has known and practiced hand-knitting even before the beginning of the new era.

In Homer’s Odyssey, the beautiful Penelope, waiting for her love - Ulysses, kept sending her suitors away by promising to marry them as soon as she has woven the garb for her wedding.

She worked on it every day, and every night she secretly undid all her day’s work. In fact she was knitting – hand knits can easily be undone without hurting the thread, while that is impossible to do with woven garments.

There are sources stating that in some countries in the Orient; in the tombs of the Egyptian pyramids; in Ninevia, among the ruins of King Senaherib’s palace; handmade knitwear was found.

Knitting, in essence, seems to be a fairly easy to master skill. There are no special tools necessary - in the beginning hand knits were done using only fingers. It was only later that knitting needles were introduced.

"Nothing new" the skeptics would smirk. Maybe there is some truth to that.

I have tried to create beautiful garments, touched by fashion, using a ball of yarn, two ordinary knitting needles and patterns I myself have designed.

All this time, I have been led by one principle: a handknitted piece of clothing, no matter sweater, pullover, jacket or coat, carries a little bit of tradition; a little bit of my soul; a little bit of the knitter's inner world; and most important - a little bit of the personality of the person wearing it.

Hand knits are a delight to their creator, to their maker, but mostly, handmade knitwear has the unique capacity to genuinely please the person who wears it. A handknitted garment tenderly embraces a woman's lovely figure, it settles freely on a man's athletic body.

Hand knitting requires devotion, hand knits require respect, a hand knits item requires love and attention.

Aran Pattern hand knits Hand knitting Arts and Craft

In the end, it doesn't matter where knitting was born - in Ancient Egypt, the Orient, Peru, Ireland or Bulgaria. The specific technique isn't important, either - whether it is Egyptian, Aran or Norwegian. The only thing that matters is the ancient message this ancient craft delivers - beautiful clothing should bring us pleasure and individuality.

I think you now know why it is unthinkable for me to discontinue tradition, I am merely allowed to add to it. :-)

Ms. Galina Dacheva

Fashion Designer