Piecing Together a Community: The Legacy of Kathryn Parks and Colleen McFarland  University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Who Was Elizabeth EZ: The Public Face of Knitting Meets Feminism Zimmermann ((EZ)?“EZ”)? Amer ican K n itting Knitting Outside of the Home Daughter of a wealthy As a knitting mentor and instructor, EZ British family, born in Wisconsin Designer Craftsmen brought knitting into the public sphere through 1910 Artists’ organization founded in 1916 to promote arts and crafts in Wisconsin mass media and unconventional knitting venues EZ helped knitters over- Artist trained at the EZ was a member ca. 1960-1970 come social isolation by Kunstakademie in Only knitter in the WDC membership at that ppgroviding “safe” p pyhysical Munich, Germany (ca . time and emotional spaces and 1930) Award winner in 1960 for knitted wool sweater Inviting women into friendship Nanny for European Photo Courtesy of ellenspn on Flickr nobility (ca. 1936) The Busy Knitter on PBS Originated in Milwaukee – approached by “I feel as though I am a friend, even though you Wife of Arnold Beulah Donahue, who invited EZ to appear on don’t know me.” (ca. 1981 fan letter) Zimmermann, a German Photo Courtesyyg of her morning TV show brewmast er (1937) After EZ appeared on Donahue’s show, she approached the television station about her Rejecting the Phallus Political refugee and immigrant to the United own knitting show EZ embraced and promoted States (1937) 10 part program teaching how to make a over with straight needles sweater Circular knitting allows the knitter the Mother of three children, Tom, Lloie, and Meg, Syndicated nationally through the early 1980s flexibility to modify patterns and create born 1938, 1940, and 1942 seamless garments

Wisconsinite who formally began her knitting Knitting Camp Began in 1974 at Building Women’s Confidence career in Shorewood, a suburb of Milwaukee, and Urged women not to “blindly follow” patterns, later moved to Pittsville, a small town near Wausau UW-Extension, Shell Lake First knitting retreat offered but to have confidence to design for their own bodies and styles Knitting designer who published patterns in in the U.S. One one-week session EZ’s philosophy “There’s not a wrong way; it’s Women’s Day, Vogue, and other your way” knitting periodicals (1955-1989) gradually expanded to four one-week sessions “I had so much more freedom . [EZ ’s philosophy] Entrepreneur who founded a 2009 mark ed th e camp ’s 36th year gave me a different push in terms of my life that I mail order wool-only hadn’t had before.” (Deb Olson, Knitting Camper, business and self-published 2009) newsletters (1958-1989) Publications Knitting Without Tears, 1971 TV Personality who brought Knitter’s Almanac, 1974 Research Methods The Busy Knitter to PBS stations Knitting Workshop, 1981 Oral history interviews with knitting campers nationwide (1964 - ca. 1980) Photo Courtesy of Knitting Around, 1989 Archival Research Meg Swansen The Opinionated Knitter, 2005 (posthumous)  EZ Scrapbooks held by the Swansen Family “Opinionated Knitter” who continues to inspire  Wisconsin Designer Craftsmen Records and knitters even after her death in 1999 “Between those lines of wisdom … is a whole Publications at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the philosophy of living which is equally inspiring. A Smithsonian Archives of American Art, and the “Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all joy of living, learning, sharing and wonder.” (ca. UW – Milwaukee Special Collections crises.” (EZ, The Opinionated Knitter) 1982 fan letter) Instructional and autobiographical publications