The term ‘knitting’ dates from the mid-sixteenth century, earlier words such as the Saxon ‘cnyttan’ and the Sanskrit ‘nahyat’ being less precise, indicating that knitting probably evolved from sources such as the experience gained by knotting and Coptic knitting (David J Spencer).
Hand knitting was in vogue until the invention of the stocking hand frame in 1589 by Reverend’ William Lee ‘of Calverton in Nottinghamshire’. It laid the foundations for today’s weft and warp knitting and machine lace industries. This machine could produce cloth at 10 times the rate of hand knitting. The circular knitting machine and the warp-knitting machine came about 200 years later.
The unique properties of knitted constructions is their ability for producing shaped articles which has enabled this technology to rapidly answer the requirements in non-apparel areas apart from retaining its traditional markets in sweaters, hosiery, jersey etc.
Last modified: Tuesday, 27 December 2011, 12:38 PM
