Hello! And, welcome! My name is Irene Waggener. I go by ‘Bahayyik’ here on Ravelry and @waggens_ho on Instagram.

I am an independent researcher who focuses on the history and practice of knitting in northern Africa and western Asia. My work draws on participant observation, interviews, and historical, linguistic, artistic, and archaeological evidence to situate knitting within the broader themes of economy, society, and politics. You can find my publications here and my blog here.

While living in Morocco, I learned about an indigenous knitting tradition still practiced by a handful of Amazigh men in the High Atlas mountains. Over three years, I worked with and visited artisans, shepherds, and knitters to better understand what remains of this Moroccan knitting tradition that likely goes back to the earliest days of knitting in northern Africa. This work resulted in the book, Keepers of the Sheep: Knitting in Morocco’s High Atlas and Beyond, which was written in collaboration with shepherd-knitters from a village in the High Atlas’ Aït Boulli Valley. You can read more about this book here.

From Morocco, I went to Armenia, where I lived and worked for three years. During that time, I did research for another book, which is currently underway. The working title is, Knitting at the Crossroads: A Journey with Knitting in Armenia.

I hope that my work will contribute to future research on the history of knitting and will help to highlight the important role people in northern Africa and western Asia played in shaping the craft we know and love today.