Knitting and its origins in history

Press, 2 July 1986, Page 30

Knitting and its origins in history

In adapting to the world around him, primitive man ceased to clothe himself in the skins of animals and began to develop the crafts of spinning, weaving and later knitting.

No one knows when and where knitting began, but the earliest traces are among the nomadic peoples of the Arabian Desert. In the northern parts of Scandinavia and in some of the Viking tombs in Norway, fragments of material marking the transition stage from weaving to knitting have been discovered — an important transition from the interlacing of warp and weft threads, to the production of fabric using a single continuous thread. The earliest known pieces of knitting belong to the third century and in ancient times, knitting needles were hooked at one end like crochet hooks. At what date the hooked needle was superceded by the smoothpointed needle is not known, but the art of knitting appears to have spread from Syria and Egypt, to Europe by Arab traders and the Moors. In France and Italy a

knitting industry developed in both Paris and Florence. Knitting guilds came into being in the late Middle Ages. While the French tradition appears to have centred on the knitting of hosiery, in Florence the colour tradition thrived. In various museums around the world there are beautiful specimens of Florentine coats knitted in wool, with silver arid gold threads producing a richly embossed brocaded fabric. At this time in history, knitters were, always men. Sailors on long sea voyages would knit their own jerseys in complicated patterns. To become a master-knitter, a man served a six-month apprenticeship. To qualify for the title, the final test was to knit a beret, a shirt, stockings, and a carpet — all within 13 weeks. Knitting played an important role in society. It was known that Edward IV (1461 to 1483) had knitted garments in his wardrobe.

Today’s big, bright knits are a continuation of centuries of fascination with knitting. (Information supplied by the New Zealand Wool Board.)