It is believed that knitting has a longer history than both crochet and weaving. Knitted fabric tends to degrade over time, making it difficult for archaeologists to determine when knitting was first invented. The sharpened sticks found in dig sites could be needles or tools for other purposes. Knitting was not first used in England until the 14th Century. It is believed that the Middle East brought the art to the West through the Crusades.
A needlecraft that is older than knitting has a similar look
This fabric is virtually indistinguishable to knitted fabrics. Nalebinding, which means “binding with needle” in Danish, uses only one needle. The technique looks like a cross between knitting and crochet, as the thread goes through the loop instead of the working end of crochet. Due to this, all the pieces must be sewn together into a single piece.
Knitting used to be a man-only profession
It’s amazing how society has changed. The craft now considered to be “women’s work” used to be dominated by men. In 1527 the first knitting union in Paris was formed, with no women permitted! For Aran Yarn, visit www.woolcouturecompany.com/collections/aran-yarn
In 1589, the knitting machine was first invented
The knitting machine was invented by William Lee, an English clergyman during Elizabeth I’s reign. It changed our perception of clothing and fabrics. Making clothing became a cottage industry, and hand knitting was no longer essential.
During wartime, knitting was considered to be a duty of the nation
Women who had been left behind by men during wartime were expected to pick up the pieces. They were responsible for making weapons, aircrafts and farming. But they also knitted socks, hats and scarves to give soldiers stationed in cold areas. Many knitted items were sent directly to soldiers by their families, while others knitted for all the soldiers in need of warmth.
Wool wasn’t popular for the first 400 years
In the early days of knitting, the fibre of choice was not wool. This is probably due to a lack in areas outside agricultural regions. Cotton and silk were the preferred fibre for knitters in the first 400-500 years. Wool became the dominant material in the knitting world. Sheep were bred for soft, durable, and sustainable wool. This was the Merino breed. Plant-based fibres such as Bamboo, Linen, and Cotton have seen an enormous resurgence during the 21st Century.
In the 17th Century, the first knitting patterns book was published
A book, published in 1611, contained 126 pages with needlework and colourwork charts. The patterns ranged from simple, repeating motifs, to complete, tapestry like scenes. Many pages had graphs that were filled out by hand.
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