Our Story
Since 2005, Jennifer Daley has been sharing her knitting journey on this Knitting Jenny website. In 2023, while living on Fair Isle, she launched The Knitting Jenny Pattern Series, celebrating creativity and colorful wool projects inspired by Fair Isle of the Shetland Islands, Scotland.
The launch had been long in development. During 1997-2022, she designed original knitting patterns for her own personal knitting pleasure, not as an entrepreneurial venture. So, the 2023 launch of The Knitting Jenny Pattern Series was especially meaningful as it represented the culmination of more than two decades of knitting and designing and sharing——and a pilgrimage to Shetland to study Fair Isle knitting.
Dr. Jennifer Daley is a textile historian and a leading authority in the collaboration between textiles, industry, and war. In 2019, she earned a PhD from The Department of War Studies at King’s College, London, UK, with a thesis, titled, A History of Clothing and Textiles for Sailors in the British Royal Navy, 1660-1859. She also earned an MA in Art History from The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, UK, where she researched the depiction of clothing and textiles in painting and portraiture. She is a 1987 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.
In April 2022, she moved to the Shetland Islands, Scotland, to continue her research into the history of Shetland wool and Fair Isle knitting. In the Shetland capital of Lerwick, she managed the day-to-day operations of the Shetland Textile Museum, where she also researched the history of the Shetland knitting industry, handknitting techniques, and tools specific to Shetland. In November 2022, she moved to the remote Scottish island of Fair Isle, the historic birthplace of Fair Isle knitting. In 2023, she launched The Knitting Jenny Pattern Series at her knitting design studio on Fair Isle.
Dr. Daley is an academic professor who lectures in person and virtually, most recently at the London, UK, campuses of (in alphabetical order) Coventry University, King’s College London, London College of Fashion, New York University, Richmond University, and Temple University. She teaches a wide range of topics that include textiles, industry, and war. Her three signature courses are titled:
- History of British Fashion and Décor, from 43AD to Today
- The Psychology of Fashion and Luxury Goods
- Fashion Product Development
She served as Events Officer (2013-2015), then Chairman and Trustee (2015-2021) of the London UK based charity, The Association of Dress Historians (ADH). She was Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the ADH academic publication, titled, The Journal of Dress History. During her nine years with the charity, she organized international conferences that promoted inclusivity and diversity within the study of dress and textile history. In 2021, she was honored with a lifetime membership to The Association of Dress Historians for “recognition of immense contribution and dedication” to the charity.