The History of the Knitting Needle
Basic knitting is so simple – “two sticks and a string”– it seems like it could have been the
first way to make fabric. In fact, knitting is quite a late invention in the arena of
needlework, but its simplicity of action means that it has always been easy to learn and to
transport. Even today it enjoys far wider participation as a leisure craft than many
erstwhile competitors such as embroidery, tatting, crochet, or lace making.
Below is a brief history of the development of knitting and knitting tools, followed by some
reference notes on where to find out more.
Chronology
Early Christian era
Two-needle knitting was developed in the middle East – then the
current centre for technological innovation -- from earlier singleneedle or hooked tools.
European “Dark
Ages”
Knitting skills moved into Spain, Italy, and Eastern Europe via
trade, migration, and conquest.
C. 12th Century
A technology innovation – use of four or five needles – allowed
knitters to knit in the round – perfect for hose, caps and mittens or
gloves. Several late Middle Ages paintings, known as the “Knitting
Madonnas”, depict this new technology.
C. 13th Century
Parisian Knitters Guild was founded, followed in later years by
similar organisations in France, Netherlands, and Italy.
15th Century
Knitting reached Britain and continued to develop in two streams –
peasant knitting for family use and some income, and luxury
knitting – most knitted items recovered from these times were worn
by their wealthy owners when buried. And such items were very
fine gauge.
16th Century
Knitting grew vigorously in Britain in parallel with several social
developments :
• Enclosure of common land began – more sheep could be
better cared for
• First wire mill was built – knitting pins became cheaper
and more plentiful, and were carried throughout the land by
peddlers or “petty chapmen”.
• The spinning wheel replaced the distaff or drop spindle –
more yarn could be produced more easily
• Fashion changed, and men began to wear short trunks with
knitted hose – previously hose were made from woven cloth
cut on the bias. Is this fashion following technology? Or,
technology re-inforcing fashion?
Also in the 16th century the knitting machine was invented. At first
hand knitters easily kept up with the clumsy but capital-intensive
machines. Inevitably, over the next two centuries, the machines
drove commercial hand knitting to the margins of society –
evidenced in Britain by economic contribution which hand-knitting
continued to make in Yorkshire, Scotland, and Wales into the early
20th century.
17th Century
The Company of Framework Knitters
was chartered in England by King
Charles II.
The “need for speed” when
competing with machine knitters and
knitting for income – and the fact that
poor people knitted while walking or
standing – brought the knitting
sheath into its own. Use of the
sheath may have started centuries
earlier, but it also moved during this
period into the hands and waistbands
of wealthy and middle-class women,
often with elaborate carved
decoration and messages. In Holland
the earliest dated sheath is 1588,
while some British sheathes are
dated in the early 1600’s.
The Stocking Knitter by Annibale
Carracci in the V&A Museum
What did knitting needles cost in those days?
In 1728 Richard Latham, an English farmer and the father of a
young family, noted in his account payments book that he paid
one-half penny for a pair of knitting needles. This seems to be a
pretty steady price, for he noted in 1735 that he paid 1-1/2 pence
for three pair of needles (“one pr stolen”).
Mid-18th Century
A more urbanised middle-class developed in Britain, Europe and
America. Fine needlework became a social occupation for such
women. Knitting followed other needlework into very fine coloured
patterns for hose, gloves, reticules, and covers of all types.
Delicate silk yarns and bead knitting required very fine needles,
and also tip guards to hold stitches on the needles when at rest.
The earliest dated tip guards I have found are hallmarked for
1791 in Holland. Knitted, beaded tip guards reflect the beading
fashion from about 1790-1820.
Late 18th to Early 19th Light-coloured prints and muslins from the East contributed to a
Centuries
fashion for white knitting in cotton thread or yarn. Even finer
needles were required – sometimes almost as fine as sewing
needles. Knitters and needlewomen wore white gloves while at
work to prevent sweaty palms from discolouring the white work.
1830’s
Knitting recipes and patterns appeared. The earliest English
booklet I have found is Knitting Teacher’s Assistant, first published
in 1817, and reprinted regularly from the 1830’s to the 1870’s.
1840’s
First branding on needle gauges. Miss Lambert branded her ivory
standard filiere with her name in 1842; in the same year Mrs
Cornelia Mee went a bit further, including her address as well as
her name on her metal sizing disc.
During Victorian times, middle-class women used bone,
whalebone, tortoiseshell and wood needles. None of these could
match the fine gauge of steel “wires”. Poor women continued to
use steel needles and continued to knit as fast as possible.
1851
W. Carter’s The Royal Victoria Knitting Book recommended
Walkers needles, English size 22, and Manlove’s crochet thread
for Pattern 80 for a baby’s cap. This is the earliest reference I
have found to a brand of knitting needles. And note, English size
22 is an extremely fine gauge of needle.
1850’s
For some projects, pattern books now urged knitters to select
needles with knobs or stoppers on the ends – obviously, this
great innovation was still so new, it rated a special mention !
1860’s
Novelty Rubber Co in the USA sold hard rubber (vulcanite) knitting
needles – the earliest “synthesised” needles I have been able to
trace. These needles were stamped on the stopper N.R.Co
Goodyear PT 1851 (a reference to use of Charles Goodyear’s
1851 patent for vulcanising rubber). Novelty Rubber stopped
reference to this patent when it went out of force in 1871.
Other natural moulded products soon followed – celluloid in
1870’s, casein in 1890, bakelite in 1909, etc.
1888
British wholesaler Olney Amsden & Son pictured in their catalogue
a set of Crescent Mills’ (OA & Son owned this firm) steel 4xDP
needles in a cream paper packet.
From this time on, there was lots of marketing of inter-related,
branded tools in pattern books and newspapers.
In addition to paper packaging, unbranded double-pointed needles
were sold in pressed metal tins, wooden tubes, and metal clasps –
dates for this packaging are unestablished.
Early 20th Century
Luxury knitting tools moved from Europe to the USA. Silver tip
guards and yarn holders, common among their upper middle
classes and aristocracy in Europe (not Britain) were followed up in
the US with silver knitting needles and other luxury needlework
items. Silver was an inexpensive metal in the US at this time, and
very inexpensive silver tools were sold in the catalogues of mail
order jewellers like Baird-North and Daniel Lowe.
Post-WWI
Circular needle (branded later by Aero as the “Twin Pin”)
invented. US patent exists from 1918, but may be earlier in
Europe.
1920’s
Jarrett, Rainsford and Laughton Ltd in Britain and Australia
stamped their metal single-point needles with the brand name
Stratnoid. Many other metal needles were branded from this time
(and possibly a little before).
All knitting tools were becoming more standardised and utilitarian.
1930’s
Aero marketing still offered their commercially-made knitting
sheath. (I’ve never seen one.)
Post-WWII
Needle manufacture dies out in “Western” countries, and moves to
Asia. Knitting acquires a rather daggy, homebody image.
1980’s
Knitting is revived as a leisure and creative activity. Handcrafting
of tools and implements also revives. Many handcraft tools and
implements are later available through the new distribution channel
of the internet. Everything old is new again !
More Information –
Most of these books will be well known to needlework tool enthusiasts. I’ve omitted many other texts on
knitting which deal more with social aspects but with little specific information on tools.
Groves, Silvia, The History of Needlework Tools and Accessories, first published in the UK in 1966 but
with many later re-publications, has a chapter on knitting tools, with very useful comments on 17th and 18th
century tools.
Hartley, Marie, and Ingliby, Joan, The Old Handknitters of the Dales , first printed in 1951 but reprinted in
various editions.
Rutt, Richard, A History of Hand Knitting, London, 1987 and many reprints. A first attempt to cover all
aspects of the history of knitting, mainly in the UK but also with brief summaries of easily available
knowledge of other countries. The author apologies for “the weaknesses to which pioneer writing is liable”.
But no apology is needed – terrific reading.
Sullivan, Kay, Needlework Tools and Accessories – a Dutch Tradition, published in 2006 by the Antique
Collectors’ Club, has extensive information on Dutch tools for knitting and related disciplines.
Turnau, Irena, History of Knitting before Mass Production, first published in Poland in 1991 and then
translated into English. Packed with information about knitting all over Europe, but very dense – has a
“doctoral thesis” air.
Williams, Sheila, The History of Knitting Pin Gauges, Cambridgeshire, 2006. A great reference book for
manufacturers as well as the gauges themselves – I keep it next to my desk.