3. About the History of the Hand Knitting Frame

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In 1589, the hand knitting frame was invented by William Lee, who was from Woodborough, Nottingham in England. With the hand knitting frame, the production of knit stockings with 600 stitches per minute and a fineness of 12 gauge (12 needles per 1.5 inches/3.81 cm) was possible. All goods produced on the hand knitting frame were smooth, or unpatterned.

Wooden reproduction of Lee's hand knitting frame, app. 1760.

In 1609, Lee's knitting frame was improved. 1500 stitches per minute and a fineness of 24 gauge became possible.

Cotton stocking produced on Lee's hand knitting frame, 19th century.

During the beginning of the 18th century - when the hand knitting frame became known throughout France and Germany - the knitting frames, which were originally made from steel, were reproduced in wood in Württemberg and the Erz Mountains and renamed roller chairs. Many of the parts of Lee's knitting frame, which were originally made from steel, were fabricated from wood in Germany due to the shortage of steel workers and of steel itself. The steel hand knitting frame was not introduced in Germany until 1770.

Improved knitting frame based on Lee's system - called the "Roller Chair", 1830.

In 1740, due to the introduction of the pressing machine, the production of stockings with colored pressed patterns became possible.

In 1758, an invention by the English Jedediah Strutt from Derby made the production of elastic ribbed stockings possible with Lee's knitting frame - this became known as double face fabric. This ribbed fabric, also called ribbed goods or "derby-ribs" in England, became a major competitor of the ribbed goods previously only possible by hand-knitting. Until this time, hand-knit ribbed stockings were more popular than the machine-knit smooth stockings since they were more elastic and the feet fit better.

Ribbed stocking, such as those produced on the knitting frame improved by Jedediah Strutt, app. 1760.

In 1763, the Englishman Moris received a patent (and an additional patent in 1781) for the "Petinet Machine", which enabled ornamental pierced patterns in the clock or feet of the stockings. These patterns could automatically be knit into the stockings.

Ornamental, pierced pattern - called the Petinet pattern - of a silk stocking, app. 1760.

In 1776, the English William Brockey from Nottingham invented a contraption for producing plated goods. In plated goods, the outside of the knitted article is made of a different yarn than the inside. He produced stockings that were cotton on the inside and silk on the outside.

Hand knitting frame of the French inventor Marcoux for the production of ribbed stockings, 1869.