Knitting
By Natasha Slepica
What is Knitting?
Definition of Knitting -
Knitting is the process of making a textile by interlocking loops of one or more yarns either by hand with knitting needles or by machine.
Historical Information about Knitting
Evidence of the earliest knitting has believed to of come from Egypt during the eleventh century. Knitted socks were found in Egypt and are the oldest evidence of knitting, with two needles that has been found. There is a theory that knitting could be connected to the ancient skill of knotting fishing nets and this shows that knitting was introduced by Arabic seafarers sailing and trading in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Knitting has appeared to been seen in pre-Christian times and its evidence in South America is thought to be as a result of the Spanish conquistadors. There are not many surviving examples because fabric and fibres deteriorate quickly therefore it makes it hard to judge the exact history of knitting. Although we write from left to right, we knit from right to left. This is because an Arabic person began doing it that way over a thousand years ago and because Arabic is written from right to left this is the way knitting was invented.
Method of Knitting
1. Leave a 10 centimetre tail and flip the tail over the wool coming off of the wool ball.
2. Flip the tail under the loop that was created so it is going down the center of the loop from behind.
3. Pull the tail slightly through the loop
4. Place one of your needles into the new top loop created ( the smallest of the two loops ).
5. Pull the loop tightly around the needle and this is your slip knot, ready to cast onto the first row.
Part 2: Casting On
1. Hold the needle with your slip knot on it in your left hand and push your needle in your right hand through the slip knot and behind the other needle.
2. Wrap the wool coming from the wool ball around the right hand needle and between the needles.
3. Push the right hand needle against the left hand needle and pull the wool that you just wrapped around through the slip knot loop.
4. You should have the slip knot loop in the left hand, and another loop on the right hand needle ( one loop on each needle ).
5. Push both loops to the top of the needle.
6. Transfer the loop that's on the right hand needle to the left hand needle.
7. You should have two loops on the left hand needle.
8. For the next loop, wrap the wool around the right hand needle again.
9. Pull the wool through the first loop on the left hand needle again so you have one loop on the right hand needle.
10. Transfer the right hand loop to the left hand needle so you have three loops on the left needle.
11. Continue doing this until you have casted on as many stitches across as you want.
Part 3: Knit Stitch
1. Place your right needle behind the left needle.
2. Wrap the wool counter clockwise around the right needle and behind the left needle.
3. Pull the yarn through the loop so it is on the right needle
4. Push the first stitch on the left needle off of the needle completely.
5. You will have less stitches on the left needle and one on the right.
6. Continue this same method down the row.
7. Once all of the stitches are off of the left needle and on the right needle, that row is down.
8. Move what was your right needle to your left hand now, and your left needle to your right hand (flip them). The needle with the stitches on it will always start off in your left hand.
9. Continue stitching the next row as you did the first.
10. When you have the next row done, you will see the pattern forming.
Part 4: Casting Off
1. Stitch two knit stitches and now you should have two loops on the right needle.
2. Take your left needle and push it through the second loop on your right needle (the first loop you made).
3. Pull the loop up and over the first loop and off of the right needle.
4. Now you will have one loop on the right needle.
5. Knit another stitch so you have two on the right needle again.
6. Pull the loop up and over the first loop and off of the right needle again.
7. Continue repeating this down the row.
8. You should have all of the stitches off of both needles, except for one left on the right needle.
9. Pull the loop off the needle and cut the wool, leaving around 10 centimetres.
10. Push the excess wool through the last loop.
11. Pull it tight to tie off the end of the row.