This is, in reality, the world's first themed knitting event, said Janet Kemp, owner of Fine Yarns and Needlework in Stratford. Kemp, who dressed in a garment fit for a queen, came up with the concept and organised the faire, which also featured a concert of early music at Christ Episcopal Church and a slide show of Knitting Madonnas.

The Knitting Madonnas are oil paintings of the Virgin Mary knitting with the Christ Child sitting nearby, sometimes playing with the yarn. The paintings date back to the 14th century and are the first documents of knitting in Europe, but the technique may have its origins in early Egyptian culture, Kemp said.

The paintings generally show women knitting with double-pointed needles, as was customary at the time. Today, most knitters use single-pointed straight needles.

The participants in Carol Mallquist's sock-making class used a magic loop, a circular knitting instrument that allowed them to make tubular socks.

It's an early European cast on style. There's no seam so it's comfortable on a foot, said Millquist, of Fairfield.

Kemp chose the Renaissance period because, There are [knitting] classes and events conducted all over the world, but not with a theme. Anybody can teach knitting. I thought it was important to choose a time period by which people could learn [fiber art] techniques and something of the history as well.

From the historical perspective, Kemp taught participants that most denizens of the Renaissance era were illiterate. People did not read so there were no knitting instructions. They must be told and they must be shown what to do, Kemp said.

She also told them that during Renaissance no one had pockets so everyone had to carry things. Women's reticule bags dangled from their wrists or a finger, or were sometimes fashioned on cord tied around their waists, while men carried a purse or pouch secured by a shoulder strap.

That was normal back then for men to carry a purse, Kemp said.

Men back then also wore a lot of lace because lace was an expression of wealth, said Clare Settle, of Milford, who taught bobbin lace-making and weaving techniques. Settle wore a costume reminiscent of a Flemish lady in Renaissance times because the Flemish were known for their lace-making skills.

Sherri Swihart, of Ansonia, was dressed as a well-born lady as she taught participants to make beaded heirloom bags using very thin knitting needles.

Marta Koch, of Stratford, opted to dress as a tavern wench, to represent ladies of ill- repute. The ladies of the night were taught to knit to keep them off the streets during the day, Koch said.

Koch taught women to knit a baby soaker, an article of clothing similar to today's diapers. It was made of wool and kept the baby dry and odorless, believe it or not. When wool gets wet it felts or mats so that moisture won't drip out, she said.

Pam Blasko, owner of Dream Come True Farm in Oxford, brought wool recently shorn from her sheep and taught several women to spin wool into yarn on a device called a drop spindle. It took some practice, pulling the wool and spinning the device like a child's toy top in mid-air.

This is how people first spun wool, with a rock and a stick, said Suzy Stark, of Monroe, as she fed the wool into the spindle.

I wanted to go back to the origin, the roots. I've tried this before, but never mastered it. Now I feel like I have a command of it, said Leslie Alexander, of Oxford. Alexander said using a drop spindle is universal and made her feel connected to all cultures and to the past.

Throughout the event, Kemp was treated royally. Her husband Randy Kemp took to calling her Queenie. Women curtsied, and as Kemp spoke to several women on the sidewalk outside her store, a man walked by, gave a deep bow and said, Your majesty.

Experienced and novice knitters alike enjoyed the unique event. About 30 women had registered for classes. About a dozen were offered on Saturday and Sunday.

It's cool how you can see how people knitted back then and how easy we have it now. We don't have to sit at a spinning wheel. We can order yarn through a catalogue or go to a store, said Erica Johnson, 13, of Stratford, an enthusiastic crafter who came to observe the faire with her mom, Linda, and grandmother, Edna.

Two Dominican nuns from Our Lady of the Rosary in Monroe also attended the Renaissance Knitting Faire. We are both avid knitters and always looking to learn new techniques to share with our students, said Sr. Mary Catherine, who was accompanied by Sr Mary Imelda.

Needless to say, we like things medieval. Our order dates from 1216 so we felt an affinity with the era, Sr Mary Catherine said.

Stratford yarn shop brings back Renaissance fiber arts — Connecticut Post