Explore the interlooped history of hosiery Mills and stockings; touch natural and synthetic materials and stockings; build outfits on a life-size paper doll. These are just a few reasons you won’t want to miss Niche Knits: The Interlooped History of Hosiery Textiles and Fashion. You’ll learn how to knit in the round, experience how fashion stockings changed over time, and develop a deeper understanding about how industry, innovation, and fashion influence one another. This vibrant exhibition has something for everyone!

The smallest things can have an enormous impact on the world around us. Take a simple loop of yarn, for example. If you continue to loop the yarn over and over, you’ll eventually make fabric for clothes, industry, and more. In Niche Knits: The Interlooped History of Hosiery Textiles and Fashion, visitors will explore the two niche subjects of hosiery mills and stockings.

Niche Knits: The Interlooped History of Hosiery Textiles and Fashion features hosiery mills from Gaston county, exploration of different natural and synthetic fibers, fashion trends of stockings through time, and much more. The Gaston County Museum exhibit will include multiple interactive components including a circular knitting station, touch station, and a life-size paper doll closet. “You aren’t going to want to miss this,” Alicyn Wiedrich, Gaston County Museum’s curator said. “The exhibit delves into the history of textiles, while at the same time explores fashion and creativity.”

One artist will be featured for the duration of the exhibit. Dr. Portia York is a crochet artist, professor, and motivational speaker. Her work ties directly to our themes throughout and pushes the artistry and textiles to a whole new level! “Her work inspired me when I first saw it,” Wiedrich explained. “It’s innovative, different, and expressive.”