The History of Knitting
 Boys Knitting during WW2 (BBC)
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Not much is known about the early history of knitting. But it is probably nowhere near as old as the craft of weaving. The earliest examples of knitting that have been found are from Peru dated 100AD. This early knitting was slightly different to knitting as we know it but was capable of being used for amazing patterns. It is possible that this early form of knitting developed out of the knotting techniques used for fishing nets. Knitting was spread to Europe by Arab sailors and merchants who plied their wares throughout the Mediterranean. It then became very popular in the middle ages for socks, stockings and woollen caps and many people were employed in this new emerging knitting industry.
Originally knitting was a male-only occupation, (the first knitting trade guild was started in Paris in 1527), later it became a whole household occupation. The craft flourished in England and Scotland and by the end of the 1600s, one to two million pairs of stockings were exported from Britain to other parts of Europe. By 1589 a machine to knit stockings had been perfected in Nottingham by the English clergyman William Lee, whose knitting frame was so excellent that few improvements were needed for 250 years.
Originally knitting was a male-only occupation, (the first knitting trade guild was started in Paris in 1527), later it became a whole household occupation. The craft flourished in England and Scotland and by the end of the 1600s, one to two million pairs of stockings were exported from Britain to other parts of Europe. By 1589 a machine to knit stockings had been perfected in Nottingham by the English clergyman William Lee, whose knitting frame was so excellent that few improvements were needed for 250 years.
William Lee's Knitting Machine
Men were still knitting up to and during WW2 but since then it has become a mainly femail occupation. However there is a new interest among men and many men are learing to knit because it has elements of engineering and also helps them to de-stress.
Australia’s Oldest Man Spends Free Time Knitting Tiny Sweaters for Injured Penguins
Styles of Knitting
Around Europe different styles of knitting were developed some of these are;
A. Shetland
The Shetland Isles were particularly known for their lace work, with shawls being made so fine that they could pass through a wedding ring. Many of the lacy patterns used were handed down within families. The intricate openwork stitches, invented by the islanders, were given picturesque names like ‘fern’, ‘horseshoe’ and ‘catspaw’.
Shetland Island Lace
B. Fair Isle
Probably influenced by the designs being made in nearby Scandinavia, the Fairisle islanders developed a style of knitting that uses many colours. This colour work reflected the available colours of the sheep and the local flora from which dyes were produced. The work was always knitted in rounds on 4 double pointed needles so that the right side was always facing the knitter. Only 2 colours were worked in any given row and the pattern was built up from horizontal bands of small motifs.
Probably influenced by the designs being made in nearby Scandinavia, the Fairisle islanders developed a style of knitting that uses many colours. This colour work reflected the available colours of the sheep and the local flora from which dyes were produced. The work was always knitted in rounds on 4 double pointed needles so that the right side was always facing the knitter. Only 2 colours were worked in any given row and the pattern was built up from horizontal bands of small motifs.
Traditional Fairisle Knitting
C. Aran
The typical cable-patterned Aran jumper is a 20th-century invention. In 1891 the government helped poor Irish families to survive unemployment and the shortage of potatoes by encouraging the local people to weave and knit garments to sell. As this cottage industry took off the knitters began to develop the complex patterns such as cables and the more complex lattice patterns. The islanders also experimented with soft, thick, undyed yarns.
By the 1930s, Aran knitting was becoming a popular product for tourists to buy and it soon became known worldwide. Vogue Knitting published an Aran pattern in 1956 and Aran designs began to take off in America. True Aran knitting is one of the few forms of knitting that cannot be easily worked on a machine.
The typical cable-patterned Aran jumper is a 20th-century invention. In 1891 the government helped poor Irish families to survive unemployment and the shortage of potatoes by encouraging the local people to weave and knit garments to sell. As this cottage industry took off the knitters began to develop the complex patterns such as cables and the more complex lattice patterns. The islanders also experimented with soft, thick, undyed yarns.
By the 1930s, Aran knitting was becoming a popular product for tourists to buy and it soon became known worldwide. Vogue Knitting published an Aran pattern in 1956 and Aran designs began to take off in America. True Aran knitting is one of the few forms of knitting that cannot be easily worked on a machine.
Aran Islands Sweater
D. Guernsey
Square shaped woolen jumpers were a staple of fishermen’s gear all over the British Isles. Those made in the Channel Islands – called Jersey’s or Guernsey’s were knit in the round on 4 or 5 needles and had a decorative knotted edge, created by the knotted cast-on stitch, and a slit on either side of the welt at the bottom to give greater freedom of movement.
Square shaped woolen jumpers were a staple of fishermen’s gear all over the British Isles. Those made in the Channel Islands – called Jersey’s or Guernsey’s were knit in the round on 4 or 5 needles and had a decorative knotted edge, created by the knotted cast-on stitch, and a slit on either side of the welt at the bottom to give greater freedom of movement.
A Guernsey Sweater