#HistoryStitch: The History of Knitting – From Nalbinding to Knit-Alongs
Knitting is more than just a technique – it's a story made of loops, turns, and clacking needles.
From ancient Egyptian tombs to handmade socks with Fairtrade wool – each stitch carries a piece of the past.
🪢 The Predecessor: Nalbinding – The Mother of Loops
Long before knitting, there was nalbinding – a looping technique that dates back to around 500 BCE. Short, often curved needles were used to knot yarn loops into dense, warm fabrics.
Check out my blog post for more details: "Nålebinding – An Ancient Craft, Still Relevant Today?"
Archaeological finds from Egypt, Scandinavia, and the Middle East show that nalbinding was widely used long before traditional knitting appeared – especially for socks and mittens.
🧦 Early Knitting – The First True Stitches
Between the 9th and 12th centuries, the first true knitted items begin to appear – particularly socks and gloves found in Egyptian graves and Byzantine regions.
The technique spread via trade routes into medieval Europe, where monasteries adopted knitting to produce clothing and religious items.
🧶 Guilds and Social Significance
By the 14th century, knitting had become an organized craft. Knitting guilds formed in countries like Spain and England, often exclusive to men.
Hand-knit goods like fine gloves, hats, and stockings were seen as luxury items and symbols of wealth and status.
🧵 Mechanization – The Industrial Revolution of Knitting
In 1589, William Lee invented the stocking frame, the first mechanical knitting machine. This invention marked the beginning of the industrial transformation of knitting.
By the 18th and 19th centuries, knitting factories emerged, producing socks, stockings, and garments on a larger scale – shifting knitting from craft to commerce.
🏠 Domestic Revival – Magazines and Community
In the 19th and 20th centuries, knitting returned to homes:
Affordable yarn and simplified techniques made it accessible to a broader public.
Women's magazines published knitting patterns, and clubs and Knit-Alongs encouraged social knitting – whether over tea or at church events.
📱 Modern Knitting – Sustainable, Digital, Creative
Since the 2000s, knitting has experienced a major revival:
Blogs, YouTube, and Instagram gave rise to a global knitting community focused on sustainability, individuality, and mindfulness.
Digital tools, such as pattern generators, yarn planners, and online courses, merged tradition with technology – making knitting more inclusive and innovative than ever.
💬 Why Look to the Past?
Understanding the history of knitting helps us appreciate its depth:
Each technique tells a story – of people, of cultures, of time.
From ancient knots to machine-knit jumpers to online pattern shares – knitting connects generations and ideas.
And it inspires: Why not try a sock design based on nalbinding motifs? Or recreate a medieval-style cap with modern yarn?
✨ My Takeaway: A Journey Through Time
Knitting has never been just "grandma's hobby."
It has been, and remains, a form of survival, creativity, and craftsmanship.
Every time you pick up your needles, you become part of a legacy – and continue the story, stitch by stitch.
🧵 Which historical knitting technique intrigues you the most?
Share your thoughts in the comments or on Facebook!
#HISTORYStitch #knittingwithlove #strickenimtrend #knittinghistory #craftculture
Bring history to life!
Yours,
Kathrin ☀️🧶