The History of Knitting

  I knit but my basket of yarn and needles is a bit larger than shown here.  I primarily knit socks because its what I've learned but I want to try a vest next.

The other night while knitting, I wondered where it came from.  I know there are two styles, continental and otherwise but I don't know much about those styles and I couldn't tell you which I do.

My mother claims I knit back to front but that makes no sense to me as I knit the way that is comfortable for me.

No one is sure where knitting came from.  It's been suggested that knitting might have evolved from knotting fishnets but its hard to say because there are few fragments left.  Most knitted garments are made of natural fibers which tend to disintegrate over time. What is known is people were knitting socks as early 1100 AD due to remnants found in Egypt. These Coptic socks are knitted out of blue and white cotton.

There is a pair of socks in the Victoria and Albert Museum dating back to around 400 AD but some classify them as nalbinded while others claim they were knitted.  I don't know since I'm not an expert.  Many countries used a process called nalbinded which is similar to knitting to make garments.  The process is actually closer to sewing.  In the beginning many nalbinded garments were identified as knitted but once scholars realized the differences, they could classify the technique better.


The term knitting did not make an appearance in any dictionary until the 15th century and was not a part of everyday language until the Renaissance.  Based on the remnants available, it is thought knitting originated in Egypt before spreading across the Middle East before arriving in Europe.

Only the super rich or super religious in Spain could afford knitted items in the 12th and 13th centuries as it was new and only a few people knew how to knit.  By the 14th century, paintings began to show the Virgin Mary knitting for her son.

By the early 1400's, knitted garments were fashionable in France.  In addition knitting guilds were established but only men belonged to these guilds and each guild has a strict apprenticeship program.  It is thought the guilds were established to monitor the quality of knitted garments and attract wealthy clients.

In Elizabethan times, Briton in France was established as the main suppliers of knitted stockings.  At this time, men wore fitted stockings as part of their outfits and the knitters in Briton fulfilled the demand by exporting stockings throughout Europe.

in 1589, the first knitting machine was invented in England.  Although it did not decimate the knitting industry, it did change it to the point guilds disappeared and knitting was relegated to the parlor.  Knitting underwent a renaissance during World War I and II.

This is a quick look at the history of knitting.  I hope you enjoyed it.