A generally agreed upon definition of knitting is making woven fabric with the help of yarn by interlacing or interlocking loops, and so one may wonder, how did anyone even think of making loops in the first place? We all know about the origin of wool, which derives from the fleece of animals like sheep and lamb, but how did anyone think of working on it, that is spinning and weaving that fleece, and come up with such a sophisticated technique that it has now become a hobby even.
However, the history of knitting is as mysterious as it can be. Since knitting is done primarily with material that is prone to decompose quickly, like silk, wool, and cotton, very few pieces of fabrics and garments have survived long enough to give us the exact idea of when and where it may have all started. However, we can guess the practice is not exactly as old as time, in the sense that there are no fables or myths that mention knitting much (as kindly pointed by Julie Theaker in History 101), but evidence suggests that people may have been knitting as early as 500 A.D.
History of Knitting
How was knitting discovered?
Before knitting, there was nailbinding, or Nålebinding, for making small garments such as socks and mittens, with an appearance similar to that of a knitted fabric. But this technique involves the use of a single-eye needle and is said to be akin to sewing and woven around the thumb using short pieces of yarn.
Many old fragments discovered by archaeologists were thought to be knitted only to be proven that they were made with nailbinding instead.
However, that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been discoveries related to knitting. The history of knitting can be traced back to the Middle East, specifically Egypt and the Arabs.
The earliest hand-knitted garment discovered to date are socks in Egypt, said to date between 1000-1100 AD, showcasing a very skilled handiwork with intricate patterns and the use of white and indigo cotton in stockinette stitch. This garment has used two needles, which is essential to show its difference from the nailbinding technique.
The complexity of the patterns and the use of stranded colourwork, i.e., using two yarns of different colours at the same time, tells us that knitting as a craft was a fairly developed and advanced practice for the people at the time and was invented much earlier than the 10th century, and the Middle East was most likely the place of origin.
It should be noted that knitting needles were made from copper, but also from whatever material available at the time, that is wood, ivory, bone, bamboo, etc, and hence why would be difficult to distinguish as a knitting tool rather than pieces of wood or just some skewers used for any other purposes.
The Spread of Knitting in Medieval Europe
Why Egypt is considered as the place of origin, you may wonder. Well, the answer to that is how the craft spread across the world, and so starts the next chapter in the history of knitting.
In Spain, in the royal tombs dated around 11th century, two silk pillows with knit-work were found, which is essentially text in Arabic, indicating that during the Arab conquest of Spain they brought along knitting with them. Along with that, a few sock fragments have also been found in the tombs.
This is how the craft travelled all the way from Middle East to Europe, from where it gained popularity amongst the nobility and was heralded as a luxury item.
By 14th century, the craft was being practised by the English, Germans, and French, by mostly skilled craftsmen and even saw the establishment of knitting guilds in the region with strict requirements to gain membership. Up until this point, wool was not yet used for knit-wear and mostly fine yarns like cotton and silk, or golden threads were used. Moreover, paintings of Mother Mary knitting in them have been found dating around 1350s, showcasing the prevalence of the craft as well as the fact that it was becoming a home activity for the women. These paintings are called Knitting Madonnas.
Advancement of Knitting in the United Kingdom
By 1500s, the purl stitch was invented, a major development in the history of knitting. The stitch was invented by English knitters for knit stockings and were becoming a popular fashion trend in Europe, but it should be noted that knitted items were mostly owned by the wealthy class, including monarchy, made with silk often times.
With the rise in demand for knitted items, Queen Elizabeth I ordered the formation of knitting guilds in England, and was also known for wearing silk stockings and fancy sleeves on her dresses that were made with knitting. This would inadvertently lead to the popularization of knitted items and also a demand for them by the people of England and also Europe.
How the Industrial Revolution mechanized Knitting
With establishment of trade routes and renaissance, this craft saw much development in terms of techniques and distinctive styles, like lace knitting in Italy and Spain, as well as use of imported material. Apart from the guilds and the wealthy, peasants and sailors were also picking up the craft for making their clothes. Now knitting was becoming a domestic craft often taken up by women and kids for making everyday items like mittens, hats, and socks for themselves.
A major turning point in the history of knitting happened during the Industrial Revolution, with advancement in technology and machinery. English inventor William Lee devised a knitting machine in 1589 by constructing a stocking frame which could produce coarse wool for stockings. The first prototype consisted of 8 needles, and later Lee improved on the design and had 20 needles which could knit silk as well.
It still took a long time before commercialization of these machines took off, as hand-knitters much opposed to the design, and would need even some more modifications before businesses were established employing machines to make stockings at a large scale.
Soon enough, factories were set up across Europe and all the way to North America, and with growing demand came more developments to the technology for more affordable knitwear.
World Wars and Knitwear becoming a Global Fashion Statement
Around the time the World Wars were happening, knitwear had become an essential item in the textile space, especially since it was being mass-produced and worn more commonly amongst the common gentry. Women, as well as kids, were encouraged to make knitted items for the soldiers on the front line, and with limited availability of yarns, they had to make do with whatever they could find, even mending and re-knitting old items.
In America, hand-knitting became more prevalent in order to boycott British goods and show support to their troops
After the end of war, knitwear saw another significant development and that was sportswear and the use of more colourful and synthetic yarn for the craft.
By 1920s, men and women wore knitted vests, sweaters, and pullovers for leisure activities like polo, gold, tennis, and the craft even made its way to high fashion. Coco Chanel and Christian Dior were the first to adopt knitted garments in their designer collections, which elevated the status of knitwear from necessity to fashion statement.
Along with the popularity and the advent of further technological advancements, knitwear became a staple in everyone’s wardrobe, especially woolen wears and knitters across the globe came up with more designs, techniques, patterns and more garments that could be knitted. There were now magazines for knitwear with patterns that were complex and intricate, and all the more colourful due to the available of materials.
By late 1960s, the hand-knitting now became a domestic hobby amongst the women who may have learnt it during the World Wars, and so it won the status of grandma’s hobby often shown in media or literature. Now the history of knitting is turning to present state of knitting.
Today, in the Western hemisphere at least, this craft has become a favourite hobby among people, with names like Ravelry and Yarn Harlot known for making waves in the small community. Globally, the hobby is seen being practiced by women and men alike, coming up with more techniques and tools, as well as patterns keeping the craft thriving and spreading its popularity.
My reason of taking up knitting is simple, but these days with the way the fashion industry is fairing, I am thinking of taking up sewing as well since at least I can control over the quality of my clothes. But knitting is an easy hobby and keeps the mind and the hands engaged, and allows much space for creativity. And the best thing is that I get to wear what I made.
That’s all for now, and I hope you all liked to learn about the history of knitting 🧶❤️
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