Article by hi joiney

Early origins of knitting br Knitting is a technique of producing fabric from a strand of yarn or thread Unlike weaving knitting does not require a loom nor other large equipment making it a valuable technique for nomadic and non agrarian peoples br The oldest artifact with a knitted appearance is a type of sock It is believed that socks and stockings were the first pieces produced using techniques similar to knitting These socks were worked in Nlebinding a technique of making fabric by creating multiple knots or loops with a single needle and thread Many of these existing clothing items employed nlebinding techniques some of them look very similar to true knitting For example 3rd 5th century CE Romano Egyptian toe socks Several pieces done in now obscure techniques have been mistaken for knitting or crocheting br Most histories of knitting place its origin somewhere in the Middle East from where it spread to Europe by Mediterranean trade routes and then to the Americas with European colonization The earliest known examples of knitting have been found in Egypt and cover a range of items including complex colorful wool fragments and indigo blue and white cotton stockings which have been dated between the 11th and 14th centuries CE br Early European Knitting br The earliest known knitted items in Europe were made by Muslim knitters employed by Spanish Christian royal families Their high level of knitting skill can be seen in several items found in the tombs in the Abbey of Santa Mara la Real de Las Huelgas a royal monastery near Burgos Spain Among them are the knitted cushion covers and gloves found in the tomb of Prince Fernando de la Cerda who died in 1275 The silk cushion cover was knit at approximately 20 stitches per inch It included knit patterns reflecting the family armory as well as the word baraka blessings in Arabic in stylized Kufic script Numerous other knit garments and accessories also dating from the mid 13th century have been found in cathedral treasuries in Spain br Madonna Knitting by Bertram of Minden 1400 1410 br At this time the purl stitch the opposite action to the knit stitch was unknown and purely stockinette fabric was produced by knitting in the round on multiple knitting pins Sometimes the knitting was cut open a process now known as steeking citation needed br Several paintings from Europe portray the Virgin Mary knitting and date from the 14th century including Our Lady Knitting by Tommaso da Modena circa 1325 1375 and Visit of the Angel from the right wing of the Buxtehude Altar 1400 10 by Master Bertram of Minden br The first known purl stitches appear in the mid 16th century in the red silk stockings in which Eleanora de Toledo wife of Cosimo de Medici was buried and which also include the first lacy patterns made by yarn overs but the technique may have been developed slightly earlier The English Queen Elizabeth I herself favored silk stockings citation needed these were finer softer more decorative and much more expensive than those of wool Stockings reputed to have belonged to her still exist demonstrating the high quality of the items specifically knitted for her 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 requiring men to wear short trunks made fitted stockings a fashion necessity Stockings made in England were sent to the Netherlands Spain and Germany citation needed br Men were also the first to knit for an occupation citation needed br Importance in Scottish history br 1855 sketch of a shepherd knitting while watching his flock br Knitting was such a vast occupation among those living on the Scottish Isles during the 17th and 18th centuries that whole families were involved in making sweaters accessories socks stockings etc Fair Isle techniques were used to create elaborate colorful patterns Sweaters were essential garments for the fishermen of these islands because the natural oils within the wool provided some element of protection against the harsh weather encountered while out fishing br Many elaborate designs were developed such as the cable stitch used on Aran sweaters which was developed in the early 20th century in Ireland br Industrial revolution br 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 increasingly shifted to factories Women were employed to operate the machinery rather than spinning and knitting items at home The consistency of factory spun wool was better in that it was more uniform and its weight could be gauged better as a consequence br 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 br 1920s the Russian Civil Wars and China br After the White Russians defeat in the Civil War many units retreated into China s Xinjiang and were interned there As China was about to descend into a civil war of its own the Russian internees were transported by camel caravans to Eastern China According to Owen Lattimore it was then that they passed on the art of knitting to the Chinese caravan men who had ready supply of camel hair from their animals In 1926 Lattimore was able to observe camel pullers knitting on the march if they ran out of yarn they would reach back to the first camel of the file they were leading pluck a handful of hair from the neck and roll it in their palms into the beginning of a length of yarn a weight was attached to this and given a twist to start it spinning and the man went on feeding wool into the thread until he had spun enough yarn to continue his knitting This way the camel men not only provided themselves with warm camel hair socks but were able to make knitwear for sale as well br 1939 1945 Knitting for Victory br A World War I poster encouraging people to knit socks for the troops br 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 and the booklet encouraged women to unpick old unwearable woollen items in order to re use the wool br Knitting patterns were issued so that people could make items for the Army and Navy to wear in winter such as balaclavas and gloves This not only produced the much needed items but also gave those on the home front a positive sense of contributing to the war effort br 1950s and 60s Haute Couture br After the war years knitting had a huge boost as greater colors and styles of yarn were introduced Many thousands of patterns fed a market hungry for fashionable designs in bright colors The twinset was an extremely popular combination for the home knitter It consisted of a short sleeved top with a long sleeved cardigan in the same color to be worn together br Girls were taught to knit in school 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 including not just clothes but also blankets toys bags lace curtains and items that could be sold for profit br 1980s A Decline br The popularity of knitting showed a sharp decline during 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 br 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 br Early 21st Century Revival br The 21st century has seen a resurgence of knitting Natural fibers from animals such as alpaca angora and merino and plant fibers chiefly cotton have become easier and less costly to collect and process and therefore more widely available Exotic fibers such as silk bamboo and qiviut are growing in popularity as well The yarn industry has started to make novelty yarns which produce stunning results without years of knitting experience Designers have begun to create patterns which work up quickly on large needles a phenomenon known as instant gratification knitting br Celebrities including Julia Roberts Winona Ryder Dakota Fanning and Cameron Diaz have been seen knitting and have helped to popularize the revival of the craft The new millennium has also seen a return by men to the art of knitting br As time and technology change so does the art of knitting The Internet allows knitters to connect share interests and learn from each other whether across the street or across the globe Among the first Internet knitting phenomena was the popular KnitList with thousands of members In 1998 the first online knitting magazine KnitNet began publishing Blogging later added fuel the development of an international knitting community br Patterns from both print and online sources have inspired groups known as knit a long s or KAL s centered on knitting a specific pattern Knitting podcasts such as Cast On and Knit Cast 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 br In addition a type of graffiti called yarn bombing has spread worldwide br On January 14 2006 influential author and knit blogger Stephanie Pearl McPhee otherwise known as Yarn Harlot challenged the knitting world 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 sixteen days later By the first day of the Olympics almost 4 000 knitters had risen to the challenge br As another sign of the popularity of knitting in the early 21st century a large international online community and social networking site for knitters and crocheters Ravelry was founded by Casey and Jessica Forbes in May 2007 At first available by invitation only the site connects knitting and crochet enthusiasts around the world and as of July 2009 had close to 400 000 members br References br Cornu Georgette Marielle Martiniani Reber et al Tissus d gypte tmoins du monde arabe VIIIe XVe sicles 1993 ISBN 2 908528 52 5 br Macdonald Anne L No Idle Hands The Social History of American Knitting 1988 ISBN 0 345 33906 1 br Rutt Richard A History of Hand Knitting Interweave Press 1987 ISBN 0 934026 35 1 br The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts br Notes br Games Alex 2007 Balderdash amp piffle 160 one sandwich short of a dog s dinner London BBC ISBN 9781846072352 160 br Zilboorg Anna Fancy Feet Traditional Knitting Patterns of Turkey Lark Books 1994 ISBN 160 978 0937274750 Paperback edition titled Simply Socks 45 Traditional Turkish Patterns to Knit Lark Books 2001 ISBN 160 978 1887374590 br Tissus d gypte tmoins du monde arabe VIIIe XVe sicles Collection Bouvier Exposition 1993 1994 Muse d art et d histoire Genve 1994 Institut du monde arabe Paris ISBN 160 978 2908528527 br Rutt Richard A History of Hand Knitting Batsford Ltd 1987 ISBN 160 9780713451184 br Gmez Moreno Manuel El Panten Real de las Huelgas de Burgos los enterramientos de los reyes de Len y de Castilla Madrid Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientficas Instituto Diego Velzquez 1946 br Rutt Richard A History of Hand Knitting Batsford Ltd 1987 ISBN 160 9780713451184 br Rutt Richard A History of Hand Knitting Batsford Ltd 1987 ISBN 160 978 0713451184 br Orsi Landini Roberta Moda a Firenze 1540 1580 160 lo stile di Eleonora di Toledo e la sua influenza Firenze Pagliai Polistampa 2005 ISBN 160 978 8883048678 br Owen Lattimore The Desert Road to Turkestan London Methuen 1928 Page 52 br The 2006 Knitting Olympics br http blog craftzine com archive 2008 04 knitting_and_crochet_online_wi html br http www ravelry com statistics users br See also br History of knitwear br External links br History 101 A history of knitting by Julie Theaker br History of knitting website with various helpful resources br Information on the Heritage of the East Midlands Knitting Industry in the UK br Needle Conversion Chart Shows conversion between current and past US and European knitting needle sizes br Victoria and Albert Museum provided 1940s knitting patterns br Free vintage knitting patterns and resources br v 160 160 d 160 160 e br Knitting br Tools and materials br Boucl 160 Eyelash yarn 160 Knitting needle 160 Needle gauge 160 Novelty yarn 160 Yarn 160 Variegated yarn br Styles br Circular 160 Combined knitting 160 Continental knitting 160 English knitting 160 Flat 160 Warp knitting 160 Weft knitting br Stitches br Decrease 160 Dip stitch 160 Elongated stitch 160 Increase 160 Plaited stitch 160 Yarn over br Techniques br Basketweave 160 Bead knitting 160 Bias knitting 160 Binding off 160 Bobble 160 Brioche knitting 160 Buttonhole 160 Cables 160 Casting on 160 Double knitting 160 Drop stitch knitting 160 Entrelac 160 Faggoting 160 Fair Isle 160 Finger knitting 160 Gather 160 Grafting 160 Hemming 160 Intarsia 160 Lace 160 Medallion knitting 160 Picking up stitches 160 Pleat 160 Ribbing 160 Shadow knitting 160 Short row 160 Slip stitch knitting 160 Spool knitting 160 Tuck 160 Uneven knitting 160 Weaving 160 Welting br Patterns br Aran 160 Argyle br Machine knitting br Complete garment knitting 160 Fully fashioned knitting 160 Knitting machine 160 Stocking frame br Knitters and br designers br Nicky Epstein 160 Kaffe Fassett 160 Knitters in literature 160 Marianne Kinzel 160 William Lee 160 Gwen Matthewman 160 Shannon Okey 160 Stephanie Pearl McPhee 160 Alice Starmore 160 Debbie Stoller 160 Meg Swansen 160 Barbara G Walker 160 Elizab

This video will show you the basics of knitting. Follow along and see how easy it is to actually do! Anyone can learn to knit and it’s a great craft to know if you want to give handmade gifts! A simple large knitted rectangle is essentially an afghan. So this simple stitch can go pretty far and will keep you warm for years to come! If you do not know how to make a Slip Knot, we have a separate video for that here: www.youtube.com With this video you will learn how to Cast On, knit rows, and Bind off to complete a simple project. To view the article “How to Knit – The Basics” click here: cyberseams.com To learn more, visit us at Cyberseams.com!
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Find More Knitting Articles