Knitting together: the revival of knitting as Intangible Cultural Heritage through digital resources and its contributions to tourism

Abstract

Knitting is recognised as one kind of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Scotland (ICH). Knitting qualifies as ICH since patterns were held as tacit knowledge and passed down through families and locations. This tradition has been threatened by social and economic change, but has experienced a recent revival through the use of internet resources, attracting new enthusiasts worldwide as a popular craft hobby. The digitisation of traditional ICH means that, in addition to some of these traditional techniques being preserved, new creative designs and adaptations have also emerged as part of a living tradition, and new roles for knitting have been discovered, including community networking and well-being. The paper focuses on Shetland, where knitting has become a key part of the tourism economy. However, as a result, a number of new tensions have emerged: between the roles of local and global communities; between commercialisation and heritage traditions; and between mass tourism and creative tourism. Recognition as ICH has helped to recognise local tradition, but as part of a global economy.