Knitting has been a human activity since the first millennium AD. In essence, knitting is the use of tools to create a knotted section of cloth. Unlike other methods of cloth production, knitting does not require large and expensive looms. It is performed with small and easily created tools.
Early knitting was called nalebinding. It was a simple technique. It produced a dense, warm and long lasting fabric. Unlike modern knitting, it only used a single needle to knot the yarn or thread. Most of the earliest knitted objects were socks and stockings. By the 5th century AD fabric that looks like modern knitting was being produced throughout the Middle East. Eventually the craft reached Northern Europe. There the art flourished into what we know today.
By the 16th century knitting had all of the elements of modern knit work. Both the knit and the purl stitch were in common use. Simple laces could be created. Stranded color work was also being developed and worn. In Scotland and the Nordic countries they also developed complex cable work to decorate warm sweaters and other accessorie...
Through out the ages some of the most impressive feats of blanket weaving has been produced by the Navajo people. One of the most beautiful styles that the Navajo created are the "chief blankets". These blankets have played a extremely important role in the survival of their people with the coming of Western society and are still continued to be made to this day
Fiber is a threadlike material that can be found in a natural or manmade form. Natural fibers derive from various animals, plants and can even be produced by insects. These fibers have been in use since prehistoric times and are currently produced today. The most common natural fibers used are linen, wool, silk and cotton. They have been woven together to create fabrics for clothing and other items. A natural protein fiber, called wool, was discovered before 10,000 B.C.E. and woven into cloth by 1900 B.C.E. Wool comes from predominantly sheep but is also found in other animals such as, llamas, alpacas, camels and goats. Tribes in North Europe spun wool using a crude spindle, which is a stick with a stone or clay ring connected to the end to make yarn. They also made wool into cloth by weaving the thread in a criss cross style. Some humans 8,000 years ago had domesticated sheep specifically for the production of wool and other uses. In 4,000 B.C.E. the city of Babylon also known as the “Land of Wool”, had bought and sold woolen cloth which was important to their society. Over the years spinning and weaving machines were constantly improved like the spinning jenny built in 1767 with many spindles placed side to side allowing it to operate 120 spindles at once. Weaving wool became more machinery based rather than using the traditional manual weaving (“History of Wool”, n.d.). In order to create the fiber wool, there is a process of cutting the hair from the animal which is usually done manually by shearing specialist. After cutting, the sheared wool is cleaned and brushed to straighten out the fiber strands by hand. The wool is then placed into a carding machine where it goes through many bristled rollers and roved. The carding process separates the wool into small pieces and cooled in spools at the end of the machine. Soon the wool is spun into yarn and woven into cloth. Before this machinery process, many women known as spinsters took on the task of turn wool into cloth manually. Wool is commonly used to create sweater garments and coats for cool weather (“History of Fibers”, n.d.). The Fiber repels water well and fabric feels dry in damp or wet weather. A downside to wearing wool is that it attracts moths and carpet beetles that feed on the fabric.
Corset makers by the sixteenth century then changed the process of making corset by introducing a thin piece of whalebone in between two layers of corset material which was like a knitting needles. “The whalebone corset was much more confining than the paste-stiffened one and often worn in conjunction with other undergarments that further exaggerated the female shape” (Woodward).
Due to James Kay’s invention of the flying shuttle, there was a great imbalance in the 1730’s between weavers and spinners. Kay made it possible for weavers to quickly produce the amount of fabric that was demanded, but the spinners were still unable to make thread t...
Most people made the fabric by hand, “Polynesians spent hours beating plant fibers and tree bark into tapa cloth.” (Source 2) The difference between then and now is that people back then worked very hard for their clothing while we don’t have to lift a finger for what we have. It’s so easy for us to go to a local store or the mall and we can choose from a variety of clothes based on what our style is and what we are interested in while back then, people had to work for theirs and they didn’t have brands or a large variety of different types to choose from. Fabric was also expensive and more meaningful than what it is now. People had put in a lot of time and money to make the fabric by
The invention of the cotton gin revolutionized the way cotton was produced throughout the United States. Although it was seen as genius invention at the time, the company responsible for selling the service of cotton ginning had major financial troubles throughout the years. The failure of Eli Whitney’s and Phineas Miller’s cotton ginning business was a result of overextension of obligations, and patent infringement, and success beyond imagining.
Hair weaving dates back as far as Ancient Egypt and throughout history. Egyptians adored a good hair weave. It was considered a form of self-expression and common practice for them to trim their hair and create dazzling wig out of it. The men on occasion wore more dashing styles of wigs than the women. Women more so used weaving methods because of their diminishing hair. This practice is still used today for men and women who suffer from different types of hair loss.
In the early 1800s, lace made materials are much expensive than the crochet products. In Europe, some communities use crochet products to identify their social status, which only indicate that they can afford crochet products and other lace made items. The craft of crocheting only requires less expensive supplies and materials, which are commonly threads and yarns that they can purchase in nearby markets.
Many, many things that we wear, sleep on, sleep under, walk on, or utilize in wound-care, etc., contain some percentage of cotton. It is a fiber that is used everyday, by everyone, in one way or another. It has qualities that have made it a choice crop for centuries around the world. Today though, cotton is being largely displaced by synthetic fibers that have qualities that exceed the natural crop plant. These fibers can also be mass-produced and sold at relatively lower costs.
Weaving is a common thread among cultures around the world. Weaving is a way of producing cloth or textile. Today we have machines that weave large-scale textiles at cheap prices. Production of cloth by hand is rarely engaged in today’s Westernized societies. Not many people are thinking about how the fibers are actually constructed to make their clothes. However, in other cultures across the world the tradition of weaving still exists. By comparing three cultures that continue weaving as a part of their tradition we can see similarities and the differences between them. The reasons that each culture still weaves vary, as do the methods and materials. The desired characteristics of the cloth also vary around the world as each culture values different aesthetics.
Aldrich, Winifred. "The Impact Of Fashion On The Cutting Practices For The Woman's Tailored Jacket 1800-1927." Textile History 34.2 (2003): 134-170. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
No one is quite sure when and where crochet got started. The word comes from croc, or croche, the Middle French word for hook, and the Old Norse word for hook is krokr. The author says, “crocheting that we know now was first seen in the 16th century in france. It was then known by “crochet lace”. But of course there isn't a real source as to who was the first to pick up a hook and some thread and actually crochet anything. In that time period the wealthy would always dress themselves in expensive lace gowns, jackets, headpieces so the poor would try and imitate them by crocheting the “rich man's lace”. (Marks) Moving forward to around 1837 – 1901, crochet patterns were available for flowerpot holders, bird cage covers, lamp mats and shades, tablecloths, purses, men's caps and waistcoats, even a rug with footwarmers to be placed under the card table for card players.From the years 1900 until 1930 women were crocheting afghans, car rugs and other things. From 1960s and 1970s crochet took off and can be seen today as three-dimensional sculptures, clothing, or rugs and tapestries that depict abstract and realistic designs and
Clothing of the renaissance was very unique; the materials often used were sheep’s wool, mohair, plant fibers from the cotton plant, and silk. For color, natural materials became ground colors: brown, white, cream, or black. For shades of brown, red or orange, the Madder root was used. Embroidery included running, chain stitches, or a buttonhole. Dangling jewelry and tassels added color and movement to many of the costumes worn at that time. Renaissance men as well as women wore extraordinary clothing decorated with gold and precious jewels. During this period a person’s wealth was shown by the amount of gems sewn onto his clothing. Changing shirts was considered to be bathing since water was rarely used for hygiene, and by the end of the 15th century changing shirts became a daily act.
Knitting, using the term loosely, has been around for centuries. I use the term loosely because the oldest known items of knitted fabric are from the 3rd to 5th century when the
First of all, the fibres can classified as natural or man-made fibres. Natural fibres are those obtained from the natural resources on the environment, whereas the man-made fibres could be synthetic or regenerated fibres. Synthetic fibres are completely made from chemicals while regenerated fibres are those originally from natural resources unsuitable to be used as fibres directly, processed chemically to be changed into textile fibres. In this assignment, we will study on the general textile manufacturing processes as listed below. Then, it is hoped that the knowledge on general process could help us understand more on the industry as well to relate it with the environment.