History of knitting

The Knitting Girl by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1869

Early origins of knitting

An exact geographical origin of knitting cannot be specified. Some people believe that the craft was developed in the years B.C., but this is strongly disputed today. The oldest artifacts with a knitted appearance were worn as socks. It is believed that socks and stockings were the first pieces produced using techniques similar to knitting, as they had to be shaped to fit the foot, whereas woven cloth could be used to make most other items of clothing. Today it is known that these early socks were worked in Nålebinding, an ancient craft which involves creating fabric from thread by making multiple knots or loops. It is done with a needle (originally of wood or bone). There exist numerous techniques of nalebinding, and some of them look very similar to true knitting. By the time these archaeological excavations had begun, the craft was extinct in all but the most remote areas. Some of the oldest textiles ever found are today believed to have been produced through a variation of nalebinding. It is speculated that nalebinding or related techniques may have preceded the ability to spin continuous thread, because nalebinding isn't worked with a continuous thread and so doesn't require one. Several pieces done in now obscure techniques have been mistaken for knitting or crocheting by archaeologists untrained in the history of needlework.

The first references to true knitting in Europe date from the early 14th century, although the first knitted socks from Egypt are older, with some scholars dating them to the 11th century. At this time, the purl stitch was unknown; plain knitting was produced by knitting in the round and then cutting the piece open. The first reference to the purl stitch dates from the mid-16th century, but the technique may have been developed slightly earlier.

Elizabethan period

During this era the manufacture of stockings was of vast importance to many Britons, who knitted with fine wool and exported their wares. Knitting schools were established as a way of providing an income to the poor; the fashion of the period, for men to wear short trunks, made the fitted stockings a fashion necessity. Stockings made in England were sent to the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany.

Queen Elizabeth the First herself favoured silk stockings; these were finer, softer, more decorative and much more expensive. Stockings that belonged to her still exist, demonstrating the high quality of the items specifically knitted for her.

Men were also the first to knit for an occupation.

Importance in Scottish history

Knitting was such a vast occupation among those living on the Scottish Isles during the 17th and 18th centuries that the whole family would be involved in making sweaters,accesories, socks, stockings, etc. Fair Isle techniques were used to create elaborate colorful patterns. The sweaters were essential to the fishermen of these Isles, as the natural oils within the wool would provide some element of protection against the harsh weathers while out fishing.

Many elaborate designs were developed, such as cable stitch used on Aran sweaters which were developed in the early 20th century in Ireland.

Industrial revolution

Rudimentary knitting devices had been invented prior to this period, but were one-off creations. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, wool spinning and cloth manufacture began to be done in factories. More women would be employed at operating machinery, rather than producing their home spun and knitted items.

The consistency of the factory spun wool was better in that it was more uniform, and the weight could be gauged better as a consequence.

The city of Nottingham, particularly the district known as Lace Market, dominated the production of machine-knitted lace during the Industrial Revolution and the following decades.

1939-1945 Knitting for victory

"Make do and mend" was the title of a booklet produced by the British wartime government department, the Ministry of Information.

Wool was in very short supply, as were so many things. The booklet encouraged women to unpick any old, unwearable, woollen items in order to re-use the wool.

Knitting patterns were issued for people to make items for the Army and Navy to wear in winter, such as balaclavas and gloves. This had the effect of producing the required items, but also gave a positive sense of achievement towards the war effort by being able to contribute in this way.

1950s and 60s high fashion

After the war years, knitting has a huge boost as greater colours and styles of yarn were introduced. Many thousands of patterns fed a hungry market for fashionable designs in bright colours.

The "twinset" was an extremely popular combination for the home knitter. It consisted of a short-sleeved top with a cardigan in the same colour, to be worn together.

Girls were taught to knit in schools, as it was thought to be a useful skill, not just a hobby. Magazines such as "Pins and needles" in the UK, carried patterns of varying difficulty, with not just clothes, but items such as blankets, toys, bags, lace curtains and items that could be sold for profit.

1980s decline

The popularity of knitting showed a sharp decline in this period in the Western world. Sales of patterns and yarns slumped, as the craft was increasingly seen as old-fashioned and children were rarely taught to knit in school.

The increased availability and low cost of machine knitted items meant that consumers could have a sweater at the same cost of purchasing the wool and pattern themselves, or often for far less.

2000s revival

Following this decline of knitting, manufacturers and designers looked for new ways to stimulate interest and creativity within the craft.

Focus was given to making novelty yarns, which could produce stunning results without years of knitting experience and to designing patterns which work up quickly on large needles, a phenomenon sometimes called "instant-gratification knitting". There was also a resurgence in the availability and, therefore, the popularity of natural-fiber yarns.

Celebrities including Julia Roberts, Winona Ryder, Dakota Fanning, and Cameron Diaz have been seen knitting and have helped to popularise the revival of the craft. A new phrase Guerilla Knitting has been coined for the practice of taking every opportunity to knit in public - often with a degree of organisation such as a mass tube knit-in. [2]

Men are knitting again as seen by the emergence of male knitting groups.

The resurgence of knitting as a popular activity in the early 21st century had its roots in the last decade of the 20th century when the Internet allowed widely-disperse knitters to connect, share interests and learn from each other. Among the first Internet knitting phenomema was the popular KnitList with thousands of members. In 1998, the first online knitting magazine, www.KnitNet.com, began publishing. Blogging later added fuel the development of an international knitting community.

Patterns from both print and online knitting magazines have inspired groups centered around knitting specific patterns, known as knitalongs. Knitting podcasts, such as Cast On [3], Knit Cast [4], and Math4Knitters [5] have also emerged, with much cross-pollination of ideas from blogs, 'zines, and knitting books. Traditional designs and techniques that had been preserved by a relatively small number of hand-knitters are now finding a wider audience as well.

On 14 January 2006 influential knit blogger Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, otherwise known as Yarn Harlot, challenged the knitting blogosphere to participate in the 2006 Knitting Olympics. To participate, a knitter committed to casting on a challenging project during the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, and to have that project finished by the time the Olympic flame was extinguished 16 days later. By the first day of the Olympics, almost four thousand knitters [sometimes referred to as "knathletes" or "knitletes"] had signed up for the challenge.

References

• Cornu, Georgette, Marielle Martiniani-Reber, et al. Tissus d'Égypte: témoins du monde arabe, VIIIe à XVe siècles, 1993. ISBN 2-908528-52-5
• Macdonald, Anne L., No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, 1988. ISBN 0-345-33906-1
• Rutt, Richard, A History of Hand Knitting, 1987. ISBN 0-934026-35-1

See also

• History of knitwear

External links

• Victoria and Albert Museum provided 1940s knitting patterns
• Free vintage knitting patterns and resources
• Cast On knitting podcast
• Information on the Heritage of the East Midlands Knitting Industry in the UK
• History of knitting website with various helpful resources
• free vintage knitting patterns purlyq.com
• "Knitting Items from the Collections". Fashion, Jewellery & Accessories. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 2007-06-07.