Knitting
Knitting lace is considered to be the highest form of the art of knitting, which is why one speaks of “artistic knitting”. Delicate patterns are knitted with thin thread and thin needles. In earlier times these artistic lace pieces were used for decorative purposes, but also for making articles for daily use such as baby bonnets, curtains, bedcovers, or socks for Sunday dress. Certain parts of traditional costumes are also knitted, such as the knitted shawls which exist in certain regions.
Stitch by stitch until it is finished
“Knitting was very widely practised in bygone centuries. Almost every woman could knit, and if not there was always an unmarried aunt somewhere who was good at knitting”, says the textile craftswoman Marlies Schmocker. In the Farmhouse from Brülisau, Appenzell Inner-Rhodes (911) Marianne works regularly at her lace knitting, and one can observe how the complicated patterns are created row by row.
Nowadays she makes modern-style decorative pieces such as window images which she inserts into metal rings. Doilies for tables or chests of drawers have gone out of fashion. Knitting artists work according to detailed instructions, and the so-called knitting chart clearly lays down how to proceed, stitch by stitch. Lace knitting is not an occupation to be pursued sitting in front of the television or in a coffee circle. It is an activity that requires total concentration and a great deal of manual dexterity.
Ballenberg
Swiss Open-Air Museum
Museumsstrasse 100
CH-3858 Hofstetten bei Brienz
Opening hours
9 April to 1 November 2026
10 am to 5 pm daily
Opening hours Administration
8 am to 6 pm daily
