A brief history of handknitting in the British Isles from the 15th century. A general overview.

The making of all textiles round about the 16th and 17th centuries was the second largest industry after agriculture and England, famous for its wool was to have a ban imposed by King James 1st on all exports of unspun wool which was still in force until the 19th century. In fact the dead had to be buried in wool unless there was a royal exemption!

Cotton and linen were fibres being used both by the poor as well as the rich and woven either as Twill (fabric with a diagonal weave) or as a Tabby (basic over and under) weave. Also available were linen and silk mixes , but cotton had outstripped all others by the 18th century and was being imported in both woven and raw form from India and China in large quantities, especially for the developing printing industry.

In Britain, during Queen Victoria's reign white lace knitting became extremely important because of the taxes imposed on continental lace and as cotton began to be imported from the colonies its popularity began to supercede that of silk.

Hand knitting at this time was prolific especially for items known as 'white knitting'. It even became more popular than silk at one point and it was during Queen Victoria's reign, that the creation of items produced, ranged from the decorative and useful to the bizarre or even ridiculous. Spinning and weaving was also developing at this time as well as 'fulling' which felted the fibres increasing the ingenuity of the knitter.

Hand knitting itself began to develop some distinguishing features of its own providing further variety and interest over the centuries. Many knitting characteristics for example began to reflect the country of origin such as specific wool to be found in the Fare Isles or a cable stitch developed in Ireland.

As early as the 15th century, Fair Isle, a remote island between the Orkney and Shetland Islands was already producing Fair Isle knitting patterns in colours and designs not only attributable to the natural dyes from the Island but to the Spaniards Stranded there from the Spanish Armada, although Scandinavian influences may have also contributed to some of the designs because of the amount of trading done between the numerous trade routes at the time.

By the 17th century hand knitting in the Shetland Isles had become renowned for its Shetland Lace Knitting It was famous on account of having neither a cast on or cast off edge, beginning as it did from a single stitch and knitted on the bias. Notable was the fineness of the knitted shawls- and being able to pass the knitted shawls through a wedding ring was the mark of quality of the Shetland Shawl.

Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Isles was also famous not only for it's finely spun yarn but for the open work stitches which were invented by the islanders themselves and are still in use today.

Patterns used in Aran garments are said to have first been recorded as early as the 9th century, in Scotland. The Picts were known for their interwoven and coiled designs and it is these patterns that are supposed to be the genuine reflection that we see historically in the hand knitted garments of Aran, today.

Much later, these traditional patterns as we know them were to divide geographically in spectacular fashion, either to follow spreading down the east coast of Scotland and England or, to follow down the west coast of Scotland and Ireland. Those patterns following the east coast of Scotland and England tended to have horizontal and localised designs usually identifying the fishing village from where the pattern originated such as the zig zag of coastal paths or the shape of ocean waves whereas those patterns that spread down the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland tended to have vertical designs often reflecting a family's occupation usually the fishing industry.

Later knitters particularly from the Aran isles would begin to adapt these famous cable patterns passing this information down over several generations through oral means, since almost nothing was written down as few people could read at this time.

Interestingly among the more unusual developments at this time was the inland market centre of Sanquhar. This knitting was distinguished by its two coloured patterning known as Sanquahar knitting and although late to develop in this part of south west Scotland still flourishes today, two centuries later.

You can continue with 17th and 18th centuries knitting in History 2 and there's an introduction to knitted garments and household items from the 18th century in History 3.