3 ms·

> The Historian Richard Rutt conservatively suggests that knitting originated in Egypt between 500 and 1200 A.D. Haven’t watched the video but the evidence for

> The Historian Richard Rutt conservatively suggests that knitting originated in Egypt between 500 and 1200 A.D. Haven’t watched the video but the evidence for knitting in England under Roman rule certainly isn’t there. There were other methods to make knitting-like garments though so maybe this is explained in the video but I doubt that Romans knitted with this

nerdponx 3y ago
I never considered that knitting might be so relatively new. Knitted wool clothing seems like an essential item for staying comfortable in cold wet weather. Did Europeans just rely on furs and skins before then?
- adrian_b 3y ago
  No, they used woven wool garments (or felt). Any Roman male would use only woven wool clothes. Thinner fabrics, like linen or expensive imported silk or cotton were normally used only by women. Men who used them were derided as effeminate. Moreover, knitted wool is mostly suitable only for undergarments, as it does not offer enough protection against water and wind. Knitting provided more comfortable clothing, but it was not a necessity. There is no surprise in its late development.
- hprotagonist 3y ago
  there are other ways to make yarn into flexible clothes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A5lebinding https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A5lebinding is fairly old — mid-bronze age Felting and weaving (or both) are also quite old. Interestingly, the spinning wheel isn’t: woven textiles produced in europe before the 13th century would have been produced with yarn or thread made on drop spindles: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindle_(textiles) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindle_(textiles), and anything spinning-wheel-esque probably developed no earlier than c. 200-1000 globally.
hprotagonist 3y ago
and naalbinding needs simpler tools.
taneq 3y ago
Are prior methods 'not knitting' the way that most insects aren't technically 'bugs' (ie. a technical difference but still largely the same idea)? I find it hard to believe that anatomically modern humans have been around for allegedly 200+k years and yet didn't figure out "making cloth out of knots" until around 1500 years ago.

nerdponx 3y ago

I never considered that knitting might be so relatively new. Knitted wool clothing seems like an essential item for staying comfortable in cold wet weather. Did Europeans just rely on furs and skins before then?

adrian_b 3y ago
No, they used woven wool garments (or felt). Any Roman male would use only woven wool clothes. Thinner fabrics, like linen or expensive imported silk or cotton were normally used only by women. Men who used them were derided as effeminate. Moreover, knitted wool is mostly suitable only for undergarments, as it does not offer enough protection against water and wind. Knitting provided more comfortable clothing, but it was not a necessity. There is no surprise in its late development.
hprotagonist 3y ago
there are other ways to make yarn into flexible clothes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A5lebinding https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A5lebinding is fairly old — mid-bronze age Felting and weaving (or both) are also quite old. Interestingly, the spinning wheel isn’t: woven textiles produced in europe before the 13th century would have been produced with yarn or thread made on drop spindles: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindle_(textiles) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindle_(textiles), and anything spinning-wheel-esque probably developed no earlier than c. 200-1000 globally.

hprotagonist 3y ago

and naalbinding needs simpler tools.

taneq 3y ago

Are prior methods 'not knitting' the way that most insects aren't technically 'bugs' (ie. a technical difference but still largely the same idea)? I find it hard to believe that anatomically modern humans have been around for allegedly 200+k years and yet didn't figure out "making cloth out of knots" until around 1500 years ago.