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1. About the History of the Hand-Knit Stocking
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Enlarged graphics open in a new window.
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The introduction of knitting in northern Europe is presumably derived from the knotting of fishing nets - so-called "netting". Up to now, the oldest known knit artifact is a wool cap - found in a Moor grave near Borum, Jutland (Denmark) and dated 1100 BC. However, the fabrication is unclear, as the cap could be either netted, crocheted, or knit.
The origins of knitting probably stem from the Near East. Knitted goods excavated in the Syrian region of the Euphrates are dated to the 2nd or 3rd century AD. The excavations were various differently striped stockings and socks, with blank spaces left between the big toe and second toe, presumably to accommodate sandal straps.
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.Hand-knit sock from a Coptic grave, 4th century.
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In our cultural area, two knitting needles made of bone were found in a woman's grave in Thuringia - dated app. 300 AD. In a Merowing Age grave, iron knitting needles dated 500 AD were found.
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Older two-needle knitting technique, 17th century.
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The first knit articles were probably knitted using the two-needle technique,
so it is assumed that the first European stockings were knit in separate parts
and then sewn together. Circular-knitting with several needles was not invented
until later, probably in Switzerland or in Italy, where a pair of knit silk
stockings from 1254 are allegedly preserved. Additional knit goods - some of
the few references to European knitwear of the 13th and 14th centuries - still
exist today in Switzerland. It is assumed that Arabs brought knitting to Spain,
which then spread out across Europe.
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Two-needle knitting technique.
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As seen in knit pillows found in graves from the time, hand-knitting was widespread
in Spain in the 13th century. Italians probably already had knit stockings in
the 13th century. In Germany, the first proof that the knitting technique was
known was a depiction of the Buxtehuder Altar by Master Bertram at the end of
the 14th century. In the depiction, Mary is knitting a garment for baby Jesus
with four knitting needles. Master Bertram probably learned this knitting technique
in Italy, where he was an apprentice.
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Mary knitting, from the Buxtehuder Altar, app. 1395.
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It is proven that coarse-knit wool caps, which were milled after knitting, were produced in England and France in the 15th century. Stockings were presumably not knit yet during this time, but rather woven from elastic wool fabrics such as "Scharlach" (a red-dyed wool fabric) and then cut and sewn together.
The fashion of tights, which was brought to central Europe by Spain and Italy, certainly popularized knitting.
It is proven that hand-knit stockings were produced in Spain during the first half of the 16th century. With time, this stocking displaced the previous stockings and tights, which were cut from fabric, sewn together and then enhanced with booties, or the foot part. The new art of hand-knitting came to England from Spain. William Rider is named as the first English stocking knitter, who hand-knit fine stockings from worsted woolen yarn. He is responsible for introducing the traditionally male occupation of trouser knitting to England around 1564.
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Tights, mid-15th century.
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Back-seam tights, mid-15th century. The obvious back seam shows that the tights were either cut and sewn from woven wool cloth or knit and sewn together.
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Because fine, hand-knit hosiery fabrication was a lengthy and expensive process,
stockings made from various woven fabrics or wool cloth remained the most popular
form of legwear until the middle of the 17th century, at least for the majority
of the population. Even King Henry VIII. and his son Edward VI. still had stockings
or tights which were cut and sewn from wool or silk fabrics. Only very few hand-knit
silk stockings, which were probably imported from Spain at a very high cost,
supplemented the hosiery collection of the English royal court in the middle
of the 16th century. Henry VIII. supposedly only owned 6 pair of the famous
Spanish black silk long stockings.
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Farmers having a conversation and a young couple. Albrecht Dürer feather drawing, app. 1497. The three farmers on the left are shown wearing sewn tights and the farmer on the right is shown wearing the older, traditional costume with trouser legs (leggings), which were bound for a better fit.
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Even his daughter Mary I., who probably had her own source of knit Spanish
silk stockings through her marriage to Philip I. of Spain in 1554, still ordered
27 pair of sewn cloth stockings from her English hosiery maker Myles Huggarde
in 1554. Elizabeth I. was also supplied with 20 pair of cloth stockings annually
until 1577.
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Hand-knitting was strongly circulated during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I., who received her first pair of hand-knit silk stockings in 1561. In the last quarter of the 16th century, a surge of hand-knitting occurred in England. Even by the middle of the 17th century, the majority of socks, stockings and tights were hand-knit.
Seamless stockings which were knit using 5 needles were mentioned for the first time in 1560 in Switzerland.
In Germany, knit stockings and tights came into use in the second half of the 16th century. However, they were so expensive and valuable at first that stockings and tights sewn from wool cloth were still produced for a very long time. Most people wore wool stockings, silk was reserved for Kings and aristocracy. Margrave Johann von Küstrin was so delighted about his knit silk leggings in 1569 that he enthusiastically wrote the following: "I have silk tights too, but I only wear them on Sundays and holidays."
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