The History of Knitting

I have always thought that knitting began in a cold climate, most likely in Scandinavia or another northern area. But I did some research on how knitting began, and was surprised by what I found. So instead of another installment of cultural knitting studies, I'm going to share what I found out about where and when knitting began.

The first tangible evidence of knitting that historians have today was found in Egypt, of all places. Knitted socks were found in Egyptian graves, dating to the third to sixth centuries A.D. But many people believe that Egypt was not the first place for knitting to be popular. Theories exist today regarding the first knitting cultures, and many of them include countries where the climate is anything but cold. Among those included are Israel, Jordan and even North Africa.

The oldest knitting needle that has been found is made of brass and dates back to the Iron Age. Spinning wool became an art in the Mediterranean Sea area, and the Romans were the first to set up a spinning system of fabrication. In medieval Europe, hand-knitting was a popular form of making clothes, and even Peru is included in the early knitting history.

Many people today believe that knitting was spread by merchants from the Mediterranean Sea region across the world. Spain may have been of the most important hubs, as Spanish Catholics quickly spread knitting to the rest of Europe, where it has spread even further and still remains an important part of many European cultures.

I guess nearly everything in the ancient world was invented and spread from the Middle East region. I had thought that if anything didn't have a beginning in the Fertile Crescent, it would have been knitting, as it has such a strong association with Northern European culture. But I guess you learn something new every day!

Source: http://www.knittingforbeginner.com/real-history-of-knitting.php