KNITTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 January 1941, Page 8

KNITTING

ANCIENT PEACETIME ART. Today women anxious to help their menfolk in their task of restoring peace and order to the world again are busy knitting socks and warm garments for the soldiers. Looking back many centuries we find that knitting is a very old art. for it was known in the fifth century A.D. A few years ago a child's sandal knitted in coloured -wool by the same method as we employ today was found on the site of the town of Antince in Egypt. Also found was a sample of fine knitting in cotton yarn in a diamond pattern worked in plain and purl, suitable for a fancy gauntlet for a glove. Both articles now repose in the City of Leicester’s Museum. The first recorded mention of hand knitting is by Hcrmbstadt in ”Grundiss der Technologic.” who states that knitting was known in Italy in the thirteenth century, as the hands of the corpse of Pope Innocent IV were clothed in silk knitted gloves. During King Henry IV’s reign knitting was known to his subjects, and when the Normans invaded Britain the j peasants of Scotland and England wore ! woven woollen caps. i These knitted caps came into geni oral use among the poorer classes prior t<> the year 1488. later the price i ! being fixed by an Act of Henrv VII 1 at 2 8. By the year 1530 the word •'knit" I was a common term in England ami many references may be found regarding the knitting of bonnets and hose, while in every home the prac- , tice of knitting became a domestic employment. Knitting performed by machinery originated, it is said, through the romance of the Rev William Lee. of i St John’s College, Cambridge. i IJe was very much in love with e ! young woman who caused him much concern because she always seemed I more intenvted in her knitting than' • himself. So he determined to invent a mai chine that would eliminate hand knit* j ting. ; He accomplished his task about the] year 158!) and taught hr rvi.-.tiv. s how i to work*!)!;; machine. carrying >,n hie won. for some time at Calverton, Eng- ; land. j Eventual!'.- Im; invention was shown mo Queen Elizabeth, who showed much ; - imcrcs., but was very disappointed . j that it could only produce coarse i | worsted stockings. and when a patent f [for Lee's invention was sought by her. i kinsman, Lord Hum.don. the Queen I refused the request, because she j thought it would cause too much un [employment among the pmr Spurred un by the Owm’- mtere-v Lee. w.th the help < f h.- n'- .;ne; constructed a mriehme of producing mil; stockings m ‘1598. When Lee received i>u p.m-m mi ney, despite m- err m <> • < nd, he accepted an mvlmiim; f ; ,,.. timiry IV of France p, y.bL.h mm■!i in that country, L.o ’il-luet; had m ’ vm dm r?x ' l.l, ■ ~ „ privilege manufacture at ■’ V •!!-•<■ .ml'L . ' , ; , ‘jj ' A i.- Win he dwd ; m. ( ~.v iKjV . : h. work v., not mbe f,-. ' -■ for his br W;.-;- brought hi m.ch nt. h.-uv. m E'cL - u ..ml ■ idled an mdu l try which ’..day • up'dmi’hcmt all ntm- ttm ~.m ... m

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