The Knitting Craze

The fashionable and delicate art of knitting has been documented since before the Renaissance (300’s); however, the action “to knit” wasn’t added to the English dictionary until the 1400’s. The verb “to knit” means: to make loop with two long sticks. The first form of “yarn work” was called nalbinging, slightly different from knitting; it created a more sloppy appearance and could only be perfected by master nalbinders. The first archeological object that was ever found knitted was a pair of Coptic Socks from Egypt from the year 1000 CE. So even the pharaohs of great lands took time to make wonders out of yarn in white and indigo; theses socks were signs of good fortune and happiness in the afterlife and often had intricate designs that the maker probably spent some time making.

The population of knitters grew throughout time, but as factories started making knitted objects by machine, the population dwindles until all that is left is the few knitters left today. Due to the lack of knitters in the world, certain organizations have been working to raise awareness and to bring the population back up. Anyone can knit at any age, The Guild of Knitters, donates needles and yarn to schools and knitting groups in order for more people to learn to knit.

The knitwear fashions of today have been documented and adapted from years of patterns and knitters before them. This summer’s most famous looks are all about bright color and lace. So slouchy lace beanies in bright colors, or lacy, plain colored tank tops with bright colors underneath are fabulous and will keep you looking cool while beating the heat. For rainy days, bright scarves and bright socks are strongly advised, especially when you’re wearing clear rain boots, so you can show off your fabulous knitted creations.