T he novel of woollen socks was created by the double-knit
ornamental designs representing anything from ponies, owers, petals, branches and the like. Such socks were not woven for chil- dren, because each larger pattern required the thick intertwining of two yarns, so the socks would be rigid and prickly for chil- dren’s tender little feet. New double-knit socks were worn only for national holidays, at weddings or when making formal vis- its, while older ones were worn on a daily basis. Those intended for work and home- wear were more rarely knitted, and done so using coarse wool and scarce patterns. Village women usually knitted them while in the saddle, during the journey from their home to the elds, or while guarding cattle, or during their rest time after a hard day’s work. And who knows what wishes they spun into them that made these socks so playful and cheerful. “In their notes, the Popovićs wrote that in the 1950s, in the chests of old lady knitters knitwear, the old women were still numer- ous pairs of socks, noting that there were only worn by older people during late au- tumn and winter, while work in barns, elds and forests. A large number of socks were kept in chests, presented as gifts for wed- ding guests and visitors, while they were al- so given to Roma craftsmen who repaired boilers, kitchenware or agricultural tools. And fortune-tellers would happily accept them for their services, seeking and taking the prettiest and most decorative, which they would then re-sell. These patterned socks were bought on the Niš market by master masons from poor mountain villag- es, because the thickness of the knitwear protected the feet from lime and mortar. However, there was also one type of dou- ble-knit sock that the elderly knitters pre- served as the holiest object; those were the most select, the prettiest and most archa- ic. In their wills they would instruct mem- bers of the household to wear them when they or their elders died, while they should place the rest beside them in the con,”as explained in the catalogue of Dušica Živk- ovic, who formed the Knjaževac Museum’s rst collection of socks. Due to its cultural importance, this collection was declared a cultural good in 1965. Already from the end of the 19 th cen- tury, and by the mid 20 th century, knitwear started to disappear. Due to their beauty and authentic craftsmanship, these socks are listed as items of intangible cultural her- itage, and the Knjaževac Homeland Muse- um holds workshops in its summer school for making double-knitted socks, in order for people today to know how to knit these ne, gentle and warm threads, and to heat their nearest and dearest.
so speci c, be- cause they were
knitted from the top of the foot to-
wards the heel. From there, the warm wool con-
patterns of our village weav- er. It was no coincidence that her subject was a ower, a bud, grapes, a gentle petal, a leaf, a star, a pigeon, a chicken, all the most beautiful things that exists in nature, around us, within us, everything that surrounds us in the heav- ens, and that exists in the cosmos, and in a microcosm,” said Svetozar Popović, pro- fessor of literature, speaking way back in 1968. He, together with his spouse Vidos- ava, who was also a professor of literature, deserves credit for the fact that Serbia has a rich and valuable collection of naïve folk arts. This married couple were fascinated and inspired by what they saw in over 180 villages of the middle and upper Timok. In the Knjaževac region, double-knit orna- ments reached the peak of aesthetic de- velopment, when it was almost impossi- ble to nd two pairs of socks featuring the same ornaments and pattern compositions. This colourful and warm collection is preserved at the Homeland Museum of Kn- jaževac. It contains 308 pairs of double-knit socks, as well as unique albums containing sketches of 240 socks in their original sizes and colours. As such, this museum of dou- ble-knit socks produced in the Timok Fron- tier region between the 18 th and 20 th cen- turies represents a true treasure of Serbian ornamental design. The socks were made from two colours of domestic wool, which led to them being named double-knit. And the method of producing the socks was al-
tinued to the upper part with dierent colours and patterns, protecting the legs from snow, ice and the raging winter. Every sock had a“podveska”- a kind of tourniquet to prevent the sock from falling down. Touring this museum, you can discover the history and the journey of these socks. Ancient Slavic peoples of Central Asia are said to have brought double-knit clothing to Central Europe and the Balkans during the great migrations. Examining the socks, it is noticeable that men’s socks came in both long and short variations, while those for women were only long. Men’s socks are sim- pler, with less complicated patterns, smaller dimensions and only in one colour. This was most commonly a red pattern on a black background. The women’s were neverthe- less more ornate, with the main pattern and
The Homeland Museum of Knjaževac organises a school of traditional crafts, in order to preserve invaluable cultural treasures and intangible heritage Zavičajni muzej Knjaževac organizuje školu tradicionalnih zanata kako bi se sačuvalo ovo dragoceno kultruno blago i nematerijalno nasleđe
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