In celebration of International Women's Day, we at KnitPro are highlighting the extraordinary women who have transformed knitting, crocheting and crafting. From necessary household skills for survival, the crafts have evolved into an art form, a business, and a powerful community-builder. All owing to a few visionaries who didn't just benefit from knitting and crochet, create beautiful garments, they revolutionized knitting techniques, published groundbreaking patterns, and built platforms that connected knitters worldwide.
So, whenever you pick up your knitting needles, crochet hooks, yarn and craft materials, this is possible due to these pioneering names.
Elizabeth Zimmermann
Before the 1950s, knitters followed patterns like sacred texts, never deviating from the written instructions. Elizabeth Zimmermann changed everything with her philosophy: "You are the boss of your knitting." Her books like "Knitting Without Tears" introduced revolutionary techniques such as the seamless yoke sweater and Continental knitting style to English-speaking audiences. Her PBS television series "Knitting Workshop" brought her warm, encouraging teaching style into homes across America. She taught knitters to understand the "why" behind techniques, allowing them freedom to experiment and make modifications with confidence. When you substitute a yarn or resize a pattern today, you've got Ms. Zimmerman to thank.
Barbara Walker
Where would modern knitters be without stitch dictionaries? Barbara Walker's four "Treasury of Knitting Patterns" volumes, published between 1968 and 1976, documented over 1,000 stitch patterns and revolutionized how designers create.
Walker was an innovator who popularized techniques like knitting lace from charts rather than written directions. She developed the top-down, seamless approach to sweater construction that countless designers use today. Her method of organizing stitch patterns made complex designs accessible to everyday knitters.
Kaffe Fassett
You might question why we are including a man in our Women's Day celebration, but believe us we’ve got our reason. Fassett's work broke gender stereotypes around knitting and textile arts at a time when men's participation was rare, helping open the craft to everyone regardless of gender.
American-born Kaffe Fassett moved to England in the 1960s. His first design, a sweater using 20 colors—appeared in Vogue Knitting, breaking all the rules about how many colors were "practical" in a single garment. Fassett's bold designs showed that knitting could be a serious artistic medium. His 1988 exhibition at London's Victoria & Albert Museum—the first dedicated to a single textile artist elevated knitting in the public consciousness.
Debbie Stoller
In the early 2000s, knitting was still seen as grandmotherly and old-fashioned, until Debbie Stoller published "Stitch 'n Bitch" in 2003. As editor of the feminist magazine BUST, Stoller reclaimed knitting as an empowering choice and sparked a revival among younger generations. Stoller showed that handcrafts deserve respect, challenging the devaluation of traditionally female activities. The worldwide Stitch 'n Bitch groups inspired by her book created community spaces where knitters could gather, creating a social movement that continues in today's knitting circles, festivals, and online communities.
Shirley Paden
In the 1990s, the knitting world lacked diversity and as an African American woman in a predominantly white industry, Shirley Paden began teaching and designing. She broke barriers while establishing herself as a master of technically perfect, elegant designs. Her book "Knitwear Design Workshop" is considered the definitive guide to creating professional-quality patterns.
Other Influential Women
If we could name every woman who has contributed to reshaping the knitting world, we could be typing for days. Sarah Hauschka and Bev Galeskas developed the fabulous Magic Loop technique, which allows you to create a small tube, such as the leg of a sock, on one circular knitting needle. This technique frees knitters from double-pointed needles and provides an alternative to knitting two-at-a-time projects like pairs of socks or the sleeves of sweaters.
The discussion of influential women in knitting is only complete with mentioning the digital pioneers who created online knitting spaces. From Cassidy and Jessica Forbes who founded Ravelry, the platform that revolutionized how knitters share patterns and connect—to the early knitting bloggers who shared their work before social media existed, women have consistently led in building the digital infrastructure of the knitting world. Stacy Perry, the brain of Very Pink Knits is a name that made knitting easier for beginners. Vicki Howell is a craft author, knitting and crochet expert. Toni Lipsey brought the art of Tunisian crochet into the limelight. Amy Oxford gave the art of punch needle rug hooking the spotlight. There are a thousand other designers and creative people we have to thank.
This International Women's Day, we celebrate these pioneers and look forward to the innovations the next generation of women will bring to our cherished craft. KnitPro pays tribute to these extraordinary women. In our organization too, we believe in Women Empowerment and we have 400+ Super Women working with us. Our founder, Mr. R C Jain, has a strong commitment to the equal treatment of women in our community. Most have never before worked outside their homes. It has been gratifying to see them flourish and grow in confidence. We hope that the legacy of these pioneers will continue and we can contribute to this revolution.
