An overview of the history of knitting, celebrities who knit, yarn bombing and knit graffiti, and more!

1. History of Knitting

2. What is knitting?
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Knitting is one way that thread or yarn can be
turned into cloth
Basically loops called stitches pulled through each
other
Stitches are held on a needle until another loop is
passed through them
Knitting may be done by hand or by machine.
Different yarns and knitting needles result in
different end products
Using needles of different thickness as well as
different varieties of yarn adds to the effect

3. What Knitting Looks Like
Source: Wikipedia (accessed October 25th, 2009)
Diagram – notice the
loops
Photograph of Knitted
Cloth

4. History of Knitting
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The word “knit” comes from the word “knot”
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Uncertain start date because fabric disintegrates
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Earliest sample – blue and white cotton socks made in Egypt
~ 1000-1300 A.D.
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Mid 1300s to 1400s – Italian paintings showing knitting
suggest that by the late Middle Ages knitting had arrived in
Europe
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Both men and women knit in those days
– Men only guilds where men trained for six years to become a
master knitter

5. Knitting Origins
Archaeological evidence
points to knitting
originating in the Middle
East
 Most common materials
were cotton and silk
 Knitting is created by
working right to left (in
imitation of reading
Arabic)
 Knitted items are luxury,
non-essential items
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6. Middle Ages
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Art depicts knitting in everyday
life, and a series of “Knitting
Madonnas” appear
Knit socks and leggings come
into fashion

7. Around the World
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Knitting follows trade routes and
is adapted in many cultures

8. Victorian Era
Knitting becomes a parlor-art, approved for women of
leisure and as a source of income for the lower classes
 Literature features scenes of knitting
 The Prince of Wales sports a Fair Isle sweater
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9. Wartime
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Before cheap, ready
made clothing, knitting
was produced by a
cottage industry
Men & women were
enlisted to knit socks
and blankets for
soldiers
Patterns were widely
available in
books, magazines, and
newspapers

10. Late
th
20
Knitting falls out of
fashion with the
affordability of
manufactured
garments
 Improvements in
knitting machines
make factory knitted
items more available
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Century

11. Today
Knitting has surged into popularity as people
view it as a leisure-time activity, and wish to
recapture the nostalgic memories of youth
 Celebrities have embraced the art
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•Daryl
Hannah
•Tracey
Ullman
•Dakota
Fanning
•Ryan
Gosling
•David
Arquette
•Julia
Roberts
•Sarah
Jessica
Parker
•Russell
Crowe
•Kate Moss
•Kate
Middleton

12. Knitting In A New Generation
– Knitting Books,
Videos, and TV Shows
abound
– Knitting clubs and
guilds spring up
across the U.S.,
Canada, Britain,
Australia, and
elsewhere
– Online sites like Etsy
and Ravelry attract
millions of members
– Knitting becomes a
political statement,
popular with ecoconscious citizens
– Knitting graffiti and
Yarn Bombing events
become popular