This is the 2nd part of a 3-part post regarding a little bit of history on some knitting & crocheting as presented for the Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition workshop on Fiber Arts. (Obviously, this is not a comprehensive history, but serves merely as a primer, and my time line *stops* at the Victorian era).
Part I: Victorian Fiber Arts -- can be found here.
Part II: Knitting History -- can be found here.
CROCHET HISTORY
The exact origins of crochet are unknown as there are no surviving examples. The first mention as *shepherd's knitting* from "The Memoirs of a Highland Lady by Elizabeth Grant" in 1812, and the earliest published crochet pattern was around the 1820s. It has been theorized that crochet might have started as early as the 1600's and originated around Arabia and parts of Asia.
Around the 1800s, crochet became a cottage industry, especially in Ireland, was an inexpensive substitute for lace. As crochet was a cheap copy of the the more expensive (and thus status symbol) of lace, it was branded as "common". However, Queen Victoria helped its reputation by purchasing Irish made crochet lace, and learned to crochet herself.
Crochet became a popular leisurely pursuit for ladies. There are a lot of patterns available for making everything from crocheted lace copies to clothing. Crochet hooks ranged from crude wood to ivory hooks.
REFERENCES, LINKS & SAMPLE PATTERNS
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A Bit of History: Part II - Knitting
This is the 2nd part of a 3-part post regarding a little bit of history on some knitting & crocheting as presented for the Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition workshop on Fiber Arts. (Obviously, this is not a comprehensive history, but serves merely as a primer, and my time line *stops* at the Victorian era).
Part I can be found here.
Socks are the oldest form of knitted garments found, especially tubular (in the round) knitting (Egyptian socks 1000CE - stockinette done in shades of white & indigo with Arabic decorations -- made out of COTTON.) In the Middle East, the materials available were cotton & silk ...not necessarily wool.) In the 1600s, Britain became the biggest producer of handknitted worseted stockings that were exported around the world (knitted on 4 needles)
The knit stitch is the earliest form. Purl stitches were verfied in usage in 1562, and were mostly used for decoration purposes (not for welts or ribbing)
Examples of early knitting:
• pillow 1275 in Spain.
• Gloves from 1200s.
• Paintings from 1350s show some form of knitting.
• V&A example of 16th c gloves knitted in Spain. (knitted in the round)
(You can see some of these at the V&A Museum pages)
• Carpets are often found as examples of handknitting in the 1500-1600s.
14th - 16th Century: A cottage industry of knitting appeared in about 1420s, which also heralded the start of wool knitting. Previously, knitting was done with whatever fibers were the most readily available -- cotton, silk, etc.
In medieval times, knitting was guild controlled craft, and was a mainstay of exported goods (14-15thc). Sailors knitted for the same reason we do today -- it's portable, small, and gave them something to do on their long trips. This also spread the art of knitting.
Industrial Revolution in the 18th century -- transformed knitting into an automated process. Hand knitters found it difficult to make a living, as automation made cloth & clothing cheaper. There were still a few cottage industries of knitting, specifically in Scotland and the Fair Isle sweaters.
However, by now, knitting was slowly turning into a leisurely pursuit.
1800s -- Knitting was considered a more leisurely pursuit, suitable for ladies to pursue. It was also suitable for helping to decorate clothing, as well as hide any alterations of various hand-me-down clothing (along with other trim from ribbonwork, crochet, etc). Amusingly enough, there were knitting techniques that mimic'd crochet (such as picot knitting!)
There were a lot of instructions & patterns as yarn makers & embroidery houses published books to highlight their products (which hasn't changed much from today's current yarn catalogs & websites). There were also a lot of books & magazines geared towards women and teaching them these fine arts (again, this hasn't changed much!)
In the mid 1800s, beaded knitting was introduced and became widely popular, esp. in America, where ladies knitted beaded handbags.
Around the 1870s, knitting was taught to both boys & girls as part of their education, as part of a "useful skills" curriculum in schools for the working classes
By mid 1890s, knitting was considered "passe", but was still encouraged as a leisurely pass time for ladies.
There are still a lot of surviving patterns & books the Victorian era that you can easily find in Libraries or Google Books
Links of Interest
Part I can be found here.
KNITTING HISTORY
Knitting hasn't been around as long, as say, spinning or weaving. The word "to knit" wasn't added into English until the 1400s. There are knitted fragments, but it's hard to know if it was really "knitting". There are examples of "nalbinding" (cross between tatting, knitting, and crochet).Socks are the oldest form of knitted garments found, especially tubular (in the round) knitting (Egyptian socks 1000CE - stockinette done in shades of white & indigo with Arabic decorations -- made out of COTTON.) In the Middle East, the materials available were cotton & silk ...not necessarily wool.) In the 1600s, Britain became the biggest producer of handknitted worseted stockings that were exported around the world (knitted on 4 needles)
The knit stitch is the earliest form. Purl stitches were verfied in usage in 1562, and were mostly used for decoration purposes (not for welts or ribbing)
Examples of early knitting:
• pillow 1275 in Spain.
• Gloves from 1200s.
• Paintings from 1350s show some form of knitting.
• V&A example of 16th c gloves knitted in Spain. (knitted in the round)
(You can see some of these at the V&A Museum pages)
• Carpets are often found as examples of handknitting in the 1500-1600s.
14th - 16th Century: A cottage industry of knitting appeared in about 1420s, which also heralded the start of wool knitting. Previously, knitting was done with whatever fibers were the most readily available -- cotton, silk, etc.
In medieval times, knitting was guild controlled craft, and was a mainstay of exported goods (14-15thc). Sailors knitted for the same reason we do today -- it's portable, small, and gave them something to do on their long trips. This also spread the art of knitting.
Industrial Revolution in the 18th century -- transformed knitting into an automated process. Hand knitters found it difficult to make a living, as automation made cloth & clothing cheaper. There were still a few cottage industries of knitting, specifically in Scotland and the Fair Isle sweaters.
However, by now, knitting was slowly turning into a leisurely pursuit.
1800s -- Knitting was considered a more leisurely pursuit, suitable for ladies to pursue. It was also suitable for helping to decorate clothing, as well as hide any alterations of various hand-me-down clothing (along with other trim from ribbonwork, crochet, etc). Amusingly enough, there were knitting techniques that mimic'd crochet (such as picot knitting!)
There were a lot of instructions & patterns as yarn makers & embroidery houses published books to highlight their products (which hasn't changed much from today's current yarn catalogs & websites). There were also a lot of books & magazines geared towards women and teaching them these fine arts (again, this hasn't changed much!)
In the mid 1800s, beaded knitting was introduced and became widely popular, esp. in America, where ladies knitted beaded handbags.
Around the 1870s, knitting was taught to both boys & girls as part of their education, as part of a "useful skills" curriculum in schools for the working classes
By mid 1890s, knitting was considered "passe", but was still encouraged as a leisurely pass time for ladies.
There are still a lot of surviving patterns & books the Victorian era that you can easily find in Libraries or Google Books
Links of Interest
- http://vintagestitchorama.blogspot.com/2006/06/free-patterns-by-severina.html
- My Google Book Shehttp://spobjects.blogspot.com/lf on Fiber Arts
- Sortie Hat
- The Historic Knitter forum on Ravelry
- Knitty.com's History 101
- A brief history timeline
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
A Bit of History: Part I - Victorian Fiber Arts
I had actually put together a whole bunch of notes for the Nova Albion Fiber Arts panel. As I am a former teacher (and history buff), I decided that knowing a bit of history was a good starting point. (Obviously, this is not a comprehensive history, but serves merely as a primer, and my time line *stops* at the Victorian era).
This is a 3-part series. So, without further ado....
Victorians loved their crafts, including:
• cross stitch
• embroidery
• knitting
• tatting/netting/knotting -- a form of lacework
• Braid lace
• applique work
• silk ribbon work
• also a lot of other Victorian crafts, including scrapbooking, decoupage, etc
(If you think scrapbooking or decoupage is a modern invention, then think again....)
The Victorians LOVED lavish decorations. Elaborate designs were popular and adding trim to everything was common. (Lace curtains, elaborate quilts, embroidered clothing, lace edged hankerchefs, decorated frames, etc). These trims also served to hide alterations for clothing -- when older styled clothes were re-cut for later fashions or altered down to fit smaller relatives.
Victorian girls & women were expected to be proficient in a number of activities and to have "useful leisures" (especially in the middle-to-upper classes). Many young girls (as young as 6 years old) would have done "samplers" to show off their needlework and knowledge of the alphabet. Women in lower classes were expected to know a lot of these arts in order to make a living as sewers or to just be able to repair/make their own clothing.
Links of Interest
(next Post: Knitting History)
This is a 3-part series. So, without further ado....
A Bit of History Fiber Arts....
Victorians loved their crafts, including:
• cross stitch
• embroidery
• knitting
• tatting/netting/knotting -- a form of lacework
• Braid lace
• applique work
• silk ribbon work
• also a lot of other Victorian crafts, including scrapbooking, decoupage, etc
(If you think scrapbooking or decoupage is a modern invention, then think again....)
The Victorians LOVED lavish decorations. Elaborate designs were popular and adding trim to everything was common. (Lace curtains, elaborate quilts, embroidered clothing, lace edged hankerchefs, decorated frames, etc). These trims also served to hide alterations for clothing -- when older styled clothes were re-cut for later fashions or altered down to fit smaller relatives.
Victorian girls & women were expected to be proficient in a number of activities and to have "useful leisures" (especially in the middle-to-upper classes). Many young girls (as young as 6 years old) would have done "samplers" to show off their needlework and knowledge of the alphabet. Women in lower classes were expected to know a lot of these arts in order to make a living as sewers or to just be able to repair/make their own clothing.
Links of Interest
- Victorian Embroidery & Crafts Website
- Victorian Crafts (ignore all of the ads; there are some interesting articles)
(next Post: Knitting History)
Monday, October 26, 2009
The Top Whorl Spindle in Ancient Times
I'm a big history buff, especially Ancient Egypt. So, imagine my pleasure at finding some actual text at spindles in Ancient Egypt in the book, Prehistoric textiles: the development of cloth in the Neolithic and Bronze by E. J. W. Barber (The link shows a preview of the book. You won't get the whole book, but enough to whet your appetite!)
Now, I've always thought that low-whorl spindles were the most commonly used *everywhere* and that top-whorl spindles were more 'modern' (as modern as spindles get). However, imagine my surprise at finding this bit of text:
Not only that, but preserved spindles show a notch or groove to catch the thread in the whorl!
Not only did the Ancient Egyptians used it, but also in the Middle East in the 4th millenium (3300 BC) by women in Khuzistan (Iran), by Bedouin women, in ancient Persia, and by the Hittites in 800 BC.
The book, thus far, has been a very interesting read. It covers textiles from domestication of fibers, to spinning, to weaving, felting, and dye'ing. A must for any given person interested in the history of fiber. :-)
Now, I've always thought that low-whorl spindles were the most commonly used *everywhere* and that top-whorl spindles were more 'modern' (as modern as spindles get). However, imagine my surprise at finding this bit of text:
"European peasants since Classical times at least have used low-whorl spindles. ......[but] Herodotus added to those manners and customes of the Ancient Egyptins which exactly contradicted the common practice of mankind the fact that their dropped their spindle whorl uppermost instead of whorl downwards. Ancient Egyptian paintings of spindles in use invariably show the whorl at the top of the shaft; the very clear hieroglyph of a spindle in the sign-groups for spinning shot it there too."
Not only that, but preserved spindles show a notch or groove to catch the thread in the whorl!
Not only did the Ancient Egyptians used it, but also in the Middle East in the 4th millenium (3300 BC) by women in Khuzistan (Iran), by Bedouin women, in ancient Persia, and by the Hittites in 800 BC.
The book, thus far, has been a very interesting read. It covers textiles from domestication of fibers, to spinning, to weaving, felting, and dye'ing. A must for any given person interested in the history of fiber. :-)
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