Monday, February 06, 2006

Knitting's next of kin

Happy Waitangi day!

Traditionally, this day divided pakeha from maori. Today Hon Parekura Horomia the Minister of Maori Affairs writes: "I hope everyone in Aotearoa-New Zealand is able to celebrate the uniqueness of our nation and the wealth and talent of our people."

To read about the history of the treaty of waitangi:
http://www.treatyofwaitangi.govt.nz/story/shortstory.php
To read Hon Parekura Hormomia's entire speech:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00028.htm





There remains much speculation as to how old knitting is. However, from a search I did this morning this is what I discovered:


"It is quite possible that knitting grew out of a process called nailbinding." http://www.buckden-village.co.uk/knitting-uk/knitting-history.htm
What is nailbinding: http://www.dilettante.info/nalbindingmain.htm

Nalbinding seems to date back to Viking times.
Hand knitting to medieval Europe.
Machine knitting was invented in 1589

"In 1589, William Lee, a clergyman invented the first knitting machine in England" http://www.geocities.com/invtex/knitwear/history.htm
Hand and Machine Knitting: the Differences and Similarities
www.yarn-store.com/hand-and-machine-knitting-the-differences-andsimilarities.htm

The development of crochet followed knitting: 1800s.
"there is no decisive evidence of the craft being performed before its popularity in Europe during the 1800s." http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/crochet

I was unable to find a date for the development of finger or loom knitting. However, if I was to guess I would say that finger knitting predates hand knitting and that loom knitting predates machine knitting. This is simply speculation.

What is finger knitting and how do I do it?
http://www.kidscanmakeit.com/AC0023.htm
How to loom knit
http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/how-to-loom-knit.html

Next post: A spark

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