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2. About the Invention and Distribution of the Hand Knitting Frame
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Enlarged graphics open in a new window.
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Mechanical hosiery knitting began in the 16th century and the method carried on into the 19th century almost unchanged.
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From the hand-knit to the mechanically-knit stocking. Depiction of a hand-knitter and al stocking knitter using a "machine", from the 19th century.
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William Lee, a theology student from Woodborough near Nottingham, built a mechanical hand eknitting frame in 1598, which was the first attempt at mechanizing hosiery knitting. From this time on, it was possible to hand-knit stockings with mechanical help.
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William Lee and his family. It is assumed that William Lee's idea of producing a knitting frame stemmed from his wife, who supplemented the family income with hand-knitting.
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Lee's knitting frame, fully constructed using iron, was an upright chair fitted with a bench for the knitter. Lee's first knitting frame could form 600 stitches per minute, as opposed to a practiced hand-knitter, who could only form about 100 stitches.
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Wooden hand-knitting frame, based on Lee's system, 17th century. The frame, which was originally iron, was usually reproduced in wood. In Germany, the machine was widely distributed under the name "Rösschen-Stuhl". ("Little Horse Knitting Frame")
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Queen Elizabeth I. prohibited the patent which would have been necessary to produce mechanically-knit stockings and allow Lee to distribute his knitting frame throughout England. Her explanation was that the knitting frame could only produce coarse woolen goods which could not compete with fine hand-knit silk stockings. The real reason, though, was probably the fear that hundreds of hand-knitters would be unemployed if Lee's knitting frame were launched.
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Wooden "Rösschen-Stuhl" ("Little Horse Knitting Frame"), 18th century.
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Lee attempted to establish his now improved "machine" in London in 1609. His knitting frame could meanwhile produce silk stockings with 1500 stitches per minute. Again, his patent application was rejected.
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Constant improvements of the hand knitting frame led to the ability of automatically narrowing knit goods. Copper etching from the 18th century.
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With the help of the Duke of Sully, minister of King Henry IV. of France, Lee established his knitting frame in Rouen in 1612. Lee agreed to deliver 8 machines to Rouen, and send 6 English knitters to teach the French how to produce hosiery mechanically. Lee was apparently working in Rouen with another two Englishmen in 1615, but this was the last mention of him - he probably died in France. After William Lee's death, his brother James brought seven of the knitting frames and most of the English knitters back to England, where the knitting frame was improved in the 1620's. Instead of the original fineness of 12 gauge (12gg - this means 12 needles per 1.5 inches, or 3,81 cm), stockings with 24 gauge fineness could be produced. Other improvements most likely led to the fact that now only one knitter could operate the knitting frame, as opposed to two knitters for the original knitting frame.
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Improved hand knitting frame, 18th century.
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In 1641, there were two stocking knitting master craftsmen in Nottingham, who produced stockings on an unknown number of knitting frames. Most of England's knitting frames, though, could be found in London near the King's Court - the largest consumer of hosiery. In 1660, there were 650 knitting frames in England, 400 of them in London. By 1695, the number of knitting frames in London increased to 1500, and between 1670 and 1695, an additional 400 knitting frames were exported to France, Italy and Spain. This happened although King Charles II. ordered an export embargo for all knitting frames with which silk stockings could be produced in 1663.
The knitting frame continued to be improved. At the end of the 17th century, the knitting method and thus the mesh structure became smoother. This made England the leading producer of knit stockings, which were in demand all over Europe. Knit stockings were one of England's most important exports during this time.
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Coat of arms of the first English Hosiery Knitter Cooperative. William Lee (left) and his wife (right) with a schematic drawing of the knitting frame in the middle.
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| In 1658, the industrial spy Jean Hindret smuggled design drawings of Lee's knitting frame to France. A century later, these drawings were published in Diderot's encyclopedia, which today is the only reliable source of exact details on the construction of Lee's 17th century knitting frame. In 1667, Jean Hindret opened the first Royal silk hosiery mill in the Château de Madrid in Bois de Boulogne near Paris. Other hosiery mills began appearing all over France - but a royal decree in 1700 limited the production of hosiery to the following cities: Paris, Dourdan, Rouen, Cannes, Nantes, Oléron, Aix-en-Provence, Toulouse, Uzes, Romans, Lyon, Metz, Bourges, Poitiers, Orleans, Amiens, Reims and Nîmes. |
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The construction plans of the English hand knitting frame, which were brought to France by the industrial spy Jean Hindret, were published in the "Encyclopédie ou dictionaire raisonné des sciences, des artes et des métieres" by Diderot and D’Alembert between 1753 and 1780.
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James Lee brought 7 of the 8 knitting frames in Rouen back to England - the 8th knitting frame ended up in Venice with its English knitter. There it was copied and distributed to various European cities. Around 1700, one of the knitting frames could be found in Dresden, where it was used by a Frenchman.
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Johann
Esche
(1682-1752)
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Johann Esche, who's father operated a dyeing mill in Limbach near Chemnitz, had the opportunity to see a knitting frame while purchasing stockings. After several visits and in-depth studies of its construction, Esche was able to reproduce the knitting frame in wood. Esche opened a hosiery mill, and with his reproduction of knitting frame, a flourishing hosiery industry was founded in the Erz Mountains.
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Wooden stocking knitting frame, called the "roller chair", early 19th century.
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At the end of the 17th century, a knitting frame cost approximately 50 to 60 Taler - therefore even a small master craftsman could afford it.
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Stockings were produced on wooden knitting frames until the 1930's in Saxony and Thuringia.
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Another reason that hosiery knitting spread out throughout Germany was the persecution of French Protestants after the murder of King Henry IV. and the subsequent annulment of the Edict of Nantes (1685). Many of the Huguenots who worked in knitting production fled to Germany and brought their knowledge - as well as the knitting frames - with them.
The general distribution of the knitting frame in the 17th century eventually led to the replacement of sewn and hand-knit stockings by mechanically-knit stockings.
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The production of hand-knit stockings was a major cottage industry. Domestic work for the hosiery industry was often done by families with small farms. While the father knit, the children produced yarn and the mother sewed the stockings together.
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