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DEVELOPMENT OF KNITTING TECHNOLOGY
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Introduction
Knitting refers to a technology where yarns are used to create fabrics and clothing. Knitting involves manipulating yarn through a series of connected loops to come up with desired design and style. The properties of the fabrics formed differ depending on the varying fiber of the yarn, stitches used and the size of the needle used. Knitting has been in existence for many years, but the exact origin of knitting is unknown. The very first knitted item being cotton socks that were spotted in Egypt. Knitting technology has evolved through the years. When the concept was in its initial years, the technology entirely depended on hand use. There has been a lot of development and advancement resulting in knitting machines that help create fabrics automatically and quickly. Knitting has changed so much over the decades since its discovery, from functional art to fashionable art. Knitting and it’s a critical element of the fashion industry today.
Evolution of Knitting
The first knitting wear can be traced to the coarse socks that, according to many, were not as comfortable as possible and the thinner versions later developed seemed more comfortable from a human psychology perspective. The first fashion knitwear can be identified as the silk hose discovered in the Elizabethan era and was worn mainly by the rich to represent status and wealth. Before the silk hose, there were many previous knitwears, but this can be described as the first designer knitted wear that symbolized class and wealth. It was not won by everyone but only by a few individuals. Reports indicate that some individuals spent over half of their income getting a pair of the piece, which shows how desirable the item is.

In the 16th century, there is evidence of the adoption of knitting by Spanish sailors that knitted seamen wear that was more comfortable and did not restrict movement of the seamen. This shows evidence of the use of knitting for functionality in history (Gaugele & Titton, 2019). The garments were created because of the warmth that they gave the seamen when they went out to fish in the cold sea. The innovation of using knitting to provide warmth is still common today. In most schools, the students wear knitted sweaters to give them warmth. The school sweaters are more of functionality than fashion since they mainly do not adopt the industry’s new trends. The old woven socks are still available but in a lighter version, and leg warmers are used in winter and times of excessive cold to provide heat to the wearer.
After the discovery of knitting wear, knitting changed roles in the later centuries. The first evidence of changing roles of knitting is seen in the late part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. Men’s fashion shifted from wearing tights to trousers, and this forced the knitters to focus on new segments in the market. This was a new era for the knitters who had to develop new products and venture into women’s wear. By the end of the year 1910, the art of knitting was accepted as a fashion item in a lady’s wardrobe, and the idea of “knitting to fit” was adopted (Peng et al.,2018). This means that the knitted wear that was developed was no longer functional but more fashionable. Knitting wear was now more tailor-made to suit people’s needs and desires and accommodate new market trends. The ideas were accepted in many social circles.

The years between 1914-1918 were known as the war years because of the amount of fighting going on all over the globe. However, this was a very significant period for knitting technology. The knitters got contracts from the government for the supply of hosiery and underwear. During the era, the demand for woolen jumpers also went up, and the people demanded more of the jumpers that had no fastenings. During the war years, much of the fashion innovation can be attributed to the knitters’ hand knitting skills (Gaugele & Titton, 2019). The war knitted goods took two fashion directions, “cut and sew” and “knit to shape”.during the period; flatlock seams were introduced and enhanced the quality of cut and sewn fabrics that were made from the high-quality fabric; interlock.
After the war years, the demand for knitted wear was still there but was moderate compared to the demand during the war years. A lot of money was invested in the knitting industry. However, the challenge that knitting wear faced was that it was more expensive compared to the way cheaper jersey fabrics. This resulted in the limited influence that knitting had in the fashion industry, and the price of high-quality yarns can explain the high prices. The price difference is still seen in fashion today, crotcheted wear is expensive compared to other fabrics, and thus most people will go for other options (Petrov, 2019). Crotchets are slowly penetrating the fashion market, but the speed is very slow because of the inability to influence the market with low prices compared to other competitors in the industry. Crotchets still have a future because a segment of the market is still interested in the items because of the knitwear’s quality and durability.

Another very significant era in the mid-50s since, by this time, knitting had started being embraced by many people. The era was significant because of the introduction of a new word in a fashion known as casual. The wearing of unmatched separates became a trend; people wore skirts with matching unstructured tops. Acrylic became more popular since it could be blended with wool to produce outwear garments that were easy to maintain. Another trend in the 50s was the dolman sleeve sweaters. The 50s were also very popular because of the machine developments that resulted in speed and more patterning opportunities (Malcom, 2019). Many machine developers attempted to patent their advanced machine technologies, but the era’s technology was not sufficient to support the developments. If the technology had advanced in these years, then with the machine development, then knitting would have been really far today.
Knitting made a grand return in the 90s because of the trend of comfort dressing. Developments in the industry had characterized the previous years, but the 90s were a significant period for the industry. The knitting wear found a place in formal wear and fashion wear. The classic knitwear made a comeback but with a difference in the patterns, proportions, and materials used. One of the fashion trends were decorated cardigans used as evening wear. Many big brands such as Pringle, John Smedley, and Jaeger worked with fashion designers to develop more inspirational apparel. By the end of the 20th century, most of the brands had rebranded themselves into the luxury market, and knitting continues to be an essential element in the fashion industry.

Many developments in the knitting industry characterize the 21st century. The technology in the 21st century was more advanced than in the previous centuries. The advancement of technology within the century has been immense—fashion styling creating a new era of “sexy.” The knitting brands promoted more ladylike wear that had found a preference from the consumers (Mohamed & Abd El Hakeem, 2018). In the 21st century, complete knitted garments were able to penetrate the market. The Knitting industry focused on more high quality and lightweight wear that consumers preferred during the 2005 spring. With the advancement in technology, knitwear was able to adjust and keep with the trends that prevail in the market.
The question is, where is the knitting industry now. With the machine innovations, the knitting industry has developed complete garments such as sportswear and swimming wear. With the social media wave, we can see many people knitting and displaying products online. The crotchets are fetching market mainly in the babywear and the women fashion industry (Simonis, 2017). The only challenge that the knitting industry is faced with is the pricing; there are many cheaper alternatives to knitwear. In the future, knitting is going to grow as people are slowly embracing it.
Conclusion
The fashion industry has evolved so much in the years, and knitting has not been left behind. Knitting was mostly done for functionality in the early centuries, and most people did not embrace it as fashion yet. The industry has changed so much through the decades, and the future is more promising for the industry. Knitting is a vital element in the fashion industry today since it is incorporated in some trends. The challenge, however, has been to push for knitted while garments, but with time the knitting industry will gain influence in the fashion world.
References
Gaugele, E., & Titton, M. (2019). Fashion and postcolonial critique (p. 286). Sternberg Press.
Malcolm-Davies, J. (2019). Knitting comes of age: the development of a scientific approach to
the study of knitwork. Conservar Patrimonio, 31.
Mohamed, A. A. A., & Abd El Hakeem, A. A. (2018). The Effectiveness of a Constructive
Learning Model in the Development of Embroidery on Knitting Knowledge and Skills. International Design Journal, 8(1), 87-98.
Peng, J., Jiang, G., Cong, H., Luo, X., & Zhao, Y. (2018). Development of whole garment
formed on four-bed computerized flat knitting machine. International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology.
Petrov, J. (2019). Fashion, history, museums: Inventing the display of dress. Bloomsbury
Academic.
Simonis, K., Gloy, Y. S., & Gries, T. (2017, October). 3D knitting using large circular knitting
machines. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 254, No. 9, p. 092004). IOP Publishing.

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