Knitting has been a fundamental part of Bosnian culture/cultural identity for centuries. It has been passed down through generations,
most, if not all, mothers teaching their daughters at a young age, particularly in rural areas.
In the past not so long ago, Bosnian women were the ones providing the family with warm clothing that she would make from the wool gathered from their own sheep or from hemp gathered from the forest. We have heard such stories countless of times from knitters reminiscing their
younger days, recounting tales of their grandmothers teaching them the delicate art of knitting, weaving precious memories into every
stitch. In turn, they pass down the knowledge they've inherited onto the next generations.
It is through this ancestral tradition that bosnian women gain more independance in the highly patriarchal society of rural Bosnia. It is a precious source of income, and for many, the only possible one. It
gives them the means to lead a more comfortable life, to not have to worry about financing their childrens education or paying medical bills.
But what we consider to be the strongest facet of this beautiful
tradition that is knitting is without a shadow of a doubt the way it makes those knitters feel. Nearly all of our knitters have told us the same thing. Knitting is for them an invaluable source of energy. It keeps them going in life. Helps them deal with and eventually overcome traumas. Many share the heart wrenching tragedies they had gone through during the Yougoslavian civil war and how knitting was for them a real therapy and the only time they could reach a relative peace of mind.
At Wooly Rouge we are extremely proud to be a part of this beautiful tradition that is knitting and to actively preserve it and push it to new heights, and to continue allowing bosnian women to make knitting a source of income.
