What Components Have Shaped the Evolution of Knitting?

“Knitting (derived from the word ‘knot’) is the process of using two or more needles to create a fabric made of a series of interconnected loops.” The description provided by George Cassidy in his piece published by the BBC “How Knitting Became Cool”, demonstrates the simplicity of this craft, purely loops connected by one thread to form a fabric. This equation of loops and needles is seen everyday, in the sweaters and hats we are warmed by, the machine-made knit fabrics we work out in, and the blankets we huddle in after a long day. These recognizable patterns observed in clothing today are the very same patterns that adorned people of ancient times, but it wasn’t always this way. Many specific factors contributed to the evolution of knitting; these include the craft’s ancient origins, its migration into Western Europe, eventual recognition by society and legislation, and its growing future in the stem field. 

 Beginning in ancient Egypt with a weaving technique, knitting has grown into the detailed craft it is today. Consider the Article “History of Hand Knitting”; written about the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection of ancient fiber artifacts:, it illustrates that the earliest item in their collection is a pair of socks dating back to 3rd-5th century Egypt, and made with the technique called 'nålbindning'; this style, while more akin to weaving than knitting, is widely considered knitting’s predecessor. The combination of this traditional way of weaving with a looping system that allowed a needle to gather the loops onto a longer, separate string creating the woven fabric would later lead to the knitting we know today. To clarify this author Lindsay Shen expands upon the early history of knitting in the Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Shen details that "The earliest surviving true knits are Islamic socks dating from 1200 to 1500 [AD], discovered in Egypt and often decorated with bands of ornamental Arabic script” (309) For some context, the years of 1200-1400 were a tumultuous time across the globe. Europe, in the height of the Middle Ages, with feudal society keeping the poor in poverty and power in the hands of the powerful. Across Asia, Genghis Khan would lead one of the most successful empires in human history, expanding Mongol rule from Central Asia to as far as the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. Even by 1500 Great Crusades had come and gone leaving a Europe ready to rebuild with an awakening like no other, the Renaissance. Some scholars believe that knitting came to Europe via the crusades while others think that trade routes developed later brought it over, but where it truly originated from, no one really knows. In fact, when discussing the date of the craft’s emergence, it is imperative to keep in mind that “The structural complexity of the first socks,…suggest that knitting is far older than archaeologists can prove” (Cassidy).  While archeologists will forever guess at knitting’s true origins, there is no question that the incredible evolution of humanity that took place within these early years forever changed the trajectory of this craft. 

 Through wider trading practices extending from the far East, knitting migrated and became very popular in Western Europe. While specific dates are forever lost to history, loose timelines can be pieced together to better understand this progression: “Knitting spread from the Middle East to Europe via Mediterranean trade routes in the 14th Century,” (Cassidy). Not only did trade expand connecting the East and West for the first time, but because of the Renaissance movement, people as a whole focused more on the social evolution of this time. This era of enlightenment supported peaceful cooperation between the two regions. The adoption of knitting across Europe and its innovation as it proliferated Western culture changed the craft forever. Subsequently, "Established trading between Scotland, Scandinavia, Western Russia, and the Baltic states, and the fact that all these regions have comparable knitting styles, suggests a vibrancy of cross-fertilization rather than the importation of a dominant tradition" (Shen 310). Knitting soon became a driving force in European cultural exchange, and the resulting popularity of knitted products led the trade to be recognized and protected in official capacities across the continent. 

 As knitting grew in Europe, purposeful infrastructure was implemented to ensure its preservation. For instance, the article titled “Textile” and published by Encyclopedia Britannica reveals the systems put in place by early European society to protect the practice of knitting. The article states that “Knitting guilds were established in Paris and Florence by the later Middle Ages.” The creation of guilds was a common practice across Europe in this time. They protected craftsmen from being exploited by isolating the amount of people allowed into the industry, as well as establishing quality standards to participate in the guild. Guilds for almost any industry can be found in late Middle Age society, from guilds for blacksmiths to guilds for stone layers. Furthermore, as explained in the article “History of Hand Knitting” many different strategies were implemented by governments and trade guilds to keep the knitting industry in demand:

 The Cappers Act of 1571 stated that every person above the age of six years (except for "Maids, Ladies, Gentlewomen, Noble Personages, and every Lord, Knight and Gentleman of 20 Marks Land") in England on Sundays and holidays should wear…’a Cap of Wool knit, thicked and dressed in England,... and only dressed and finished by some of the Trade of Cappers, upon pain to forfeit for every Day of not wearing three Shillings four Pence’.

This act proclaimed that unless one was exempt for one of the reasons listed above, everyone was required to wear a knit cap on Sundays and holidays and specifically made by a craftsman in the knitter’s guild or they would have to pay a fine. These kinds of laws were enacted across Europe to protect the knitting industry from competition and secure the livelihood of knitters across the continent. 

With the popularization of knitting spreading across Europe, different areas began to create their own techniques and customs. Knitting soon became a point of pride for these regions and this significance would go on to ensure its survival to the present. An example of this expansion can be seen as many countries develop their own styles and techniques, creating individual identities for the different regions: “Austria and Germany produced heavily cabled and knotted fabrics, embroidered with brightly coloured patterns. In the Netherlands, naturalistic patterns were worked on fabric in reverse stocking stitch, and several Dutch knitters went to Denmark to teach Danish women the Dutch skills”(Textile). Knitting became an art form unique to each country’s stories and culture. A predominantly women-led industry, the craft became a way for women not only to provide for their families in the home, but also outside the home, spreading their country’s pride with their stitches. This recognition of knitting’s significance would go on to create more power and autonomy for women in these societies. The traditions of knitting continue to be passed down through generations, and it is due to these women that knitting is still prevalent today. The value of bestowing this skill to the next generation can be observed in the radio interview: "Shetland Oil Money Can't Unravel Islanders' Knitting Lifestyle.". NPR host, Ari Shapiro interviews residents of the Scottish, Shetland Isles revealing the rich knitting traditions embraced here. The locals emphasize that “...within this small cluster of islands, there are knitting traditions specific to each island - fine lace on the northern island of Unst, rows of colorful patterns on the sweaters of Fair Isle down South…” (The Weekend Edition Sunday). The Shetland Isles are just one of many countries that still hold their knitting traditions close to heart. This preservation of the craft has led to an island where everyone knows how to knit; men, women and children. This community, bound together by this art form will continue to pass on the traditions of this craft for generations to come. 

Today, knitting is still evolving and  holds immense promise; physicists have even begun to use knitting to explore scientific ideas and proofs. As a matter of fact, described in an article written by Siobhan Roberts and published by the New York Times, "'Knitting is Coding' and Yarn is Programmable in This Physics Lab", physicists have begun to explore the new ways knitting can be used in physics labs to investigate questions in a medium that is so often overlooked: “Dr. Matsumoto’s team likes to contemplate how stitch patterns provide code — more complex code than the 1s and 0s of binary — that creates the program for the elasticity and geometry of knitted fabric.” This new perspective on age-old questions has brought the craft deemed “domestic” or "frivolous” by some, into the physics lab to potentially solve the mysteries of our time. Because of the uniqueness of knitted technique, opportunities to explore knitted fabric’s behavior in a lab setting are boundless. This exploration can be seen in the New York Time article where Dr. Matsumoto discusses the endless possibilities knitting theory can create in the world of science. The article states that “Dr. Matsumoto and her collaborators can pull out equations and algorithms for knitted fabric behavior, which in turn could be put into physics engines for computer game graphics, or movies” (Roberts). Knitting, once an antiquated activity, is brought to the present through science. While it is still extremely difficult for knitting and knit materials to be replicated in the 3D animations so loved by modern culture, Dr Matsumoto’s achievements may bring about the key to the knit formula and thus bring about an evolution of knitting still yet to be discovered. 

Throughout its extensive past, knitting has continued to evolve beyond all expectations. Despite the rises and falls of humanity, this craft has endured and continues to shape the future of civilization. Who knew that a simple series of loops intertwined by a continuous thread could leave such an impact on the history of humankind?

Refrences

Cassidy, George. "How Knitting Became Cool" BBC. June 30th 2020 https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200630-how-knitting-became-cool Accessed 9 Sept. 2024.

Roberts, Siobhan. "'Knitting is Coding' and Yarn is Programmable in This Physics Lab". The New York Times, May 17th 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/science/math-physics-knitting-matsumoto.html Accessed 9 Sept 2024.

"Shetland Oil Money Can't Unravel Islanders' Knitting Lifestyle." Weekend Edition Sunday, 30 Nov. 2014, p. NA. Gale In Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A394002630/SUIC?u=bata60268&sid=bookmark-SUIC&xid=b5628ff9. Accessed 9 Sept. 2024.

"Textile." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 15 Nov. 2021. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/textile/108603. Accessed 9 Sep. 2024.

 “The History of Hand Knitting.” Victoria and Albert Museum, https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-history-of-hand-knitting?srsltid=AfmBOooJ9F8i_ziXKhhSPYJ-d2fpsWThnP0UDOIblB-RXSlTn6A9eibQ. Accessed 9th Sept. 2024.

Shen, Lindsay. “Knitting.” Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, edited by Valerie Steele, vol. 2, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2005, pp. 307-311. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3427500345/GVRL?u=bata60268&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=22c45248. Accessed 5 Sept. 2024