How knitwear appeared, who made it fashionable, what knitwear is considered the most expensive in the world, why spools are normal and other interesting facts about this material.
1. Knitwear is not fabric, but textile
According to the definition, knitwear is a knitted textile material or a finished product from a knitted fabric, the structure of which is interconnected loops, in contrast to the fabric, which is made by interweaving warp and weft. Therefore, it is more correct to call knitwear not a fabric, but a fabric. Although in colloquial speech it is possible to use the phrase "knitted fabric." At the same time, calling knitwear textiles is quite correct. The word "knitwear" is borrowed from French: tricotage from tricoter - knit.
Knitwear: fashion, sewing, care
2. Before the invention of machine tools, knitwear could be very expensive
Where and how the knitwear appeared is not known exactly. There is an opinion that people created knitted things even before our era. Moreover, they first knit hands, on fingers. Then knitting needles and a hook appeared. Knitting improved and became a separate profession. At the same time, fine handmade knitted things, for example, high-quality stockings made of silk yarn, could be very expensive - only wealthy people could afford them. Of course, this did not apply to simple knitwear made from coarse yarn.
Why is it worth sewing and wearing knitwear
3. The first knitting machine did not like the Queen of England
One of the first knitting machines
The first knitting machine (culinary machine) was invented in 1589 by an Englishman, assistant parish priest William Lee. According to the evidence, Lee married a girl who earned knitting, and, watching her, thought about improving this process. Then, a skilled knitter could do about 100 loops per minute, and a new machine - up to 600. According to legend, Queen Elizabeth I was even invited to the inventor’s apartment. But she didn’t like the machine: hand knitting made it possible to create much finer quality things, and the machine worked on coarse wool. Even then, when Lee improved the machine, the queen refused his patent, because she did not want to deprive her of many people who earn knitting. Then Lee moved to France and opened a small factory there. From France, such hand-knitting machines have spread throughout Europe.
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4. Back in the twentieth century, some operations in the manufacture of knitwear were carried out manually
Stockings, 1940s photo
Subsequently, mechanical knitting machines were invented. But for a long time, much had to be done with hands. For example, the process of expansion and contraction of the canvas was automated only in 1910. And stockings until the 1970s did this: first, the flat main fabric was knitted, then it was sewn together, then the foot was finished with circular knitting. This manufacturing method was called "standard stocking." It was he who gave the world a flirty and piquant symbol of femininity, a striped seam on ladies' stockings at the back.
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5. The first attempt to introduce knitwear into fashion was made in the 19th century.
Lily Langtree
Despite the development of technology for the production of knitwear, for some time on the machines they mainly made stockings and lace. The first attempt to bring knitwear into fashion was made in the 70s of the XIX century by an English actress and socialite Lily Langtry. Langtry began to wear suits from jersey. This knitwear was named after its place of manufacture, the Jersey Islands in the English Channel. But the fashionistas did not follow Langtry's example.For half a century, knitted things remained simple clothing for leisure or sports, and knitwear produced on machines went to stockings and underwear.
We sew from jersey: patterns of models from favorite fabric Coco Chanel
6. Knits appeared in high fashion thanks to Elsa Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli is called a legend, non-conformist and the prophet of the fashion world. It was Schiaparelli who for the first time showed knitted knitwear in her fashion collections - in particular, sweaters. According to legend, Elsa drew attention to a hand-knitted sweater on her American friend, and asked where he had one. It turned out that an emigrant from Armenia, living nearby, knitted a sweater. Elsa turned to a woman with an order for knitwear, which then, in the late 1920s, turned out to be an amazing discovery for the fashion world. And it quickly became popular - for example, a black sweater with a knitted white bow (pictured) was very much copied.
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7. Coco Chanel made knitwear fashionable material
Coco made the knitwear fashionable and wore it herself
They say about Coco that she legalized knitwear. This is primarily about the machine bed, in particular, that same jersey. Before Chanel, this material was sewn mainly underwear, moreover, for men. Coco began to make jersey clothes for ladies, and even a privileged class - Chanel clothes were never cheap. "It was just something unimaginable. In those years, ladies were not supposed to know that men wear underwear. And Coco began to sew dresses from the same fabric for them," said Karl Lagerfeld.
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8. The queen of knitwear is called Sonya Riquel
Cover with the same sweater
The French designer, the creator of the fashion house of the same name, Sonya Riquel is called the queen of knitwear. Sonya became famous after Elle magazine came out with a cover in 1963, on which stood a photo of a model in a striped Riquel sweater. This Le Poor Boy sweater, or Poor Boy, really looked a little orphaned, emphasizing the boyish thinness of the model. At the same time, bright contrasting strips gave him enthusiasm and spontaneity. "Le Poor Boy Sweater" became a hit: his fans were, in addition to many fashionistas, Francoise Ardi, Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot. And knitwear became a trump card by Riquel, becoming an integral part of her bohemian-style laid-back collections. By the way, it was Sonya Riquel who turned the knitwear inside out, introducing the knitwear into fashion with seams out.
How to create a two-color Chanel knitted cardigan (video)
9. The most expensive knitwear - from vicuna wool
Vicuna gives wool for the most expensive knitwear
Today, knitwear is made from different materials - natural (wool, cotton, silk), artificial, plus - are obtained by combining these fibers. The most expensive are things and paintings made from vicuna wool. This animal of the camelidae family lives in the Andes. Vicuna wool is exceptionally soft, thin, warm and durable. And the rarest and most expensive in the world. Because of this wool, the vicunas were nearly destroyed by the middle of the last century, but protection measures were taken that saved them. Now it is specially controlled so that the hair is sheared only from live animals. To make a pullover, you need wool trimmed from five vicunas. A kilogram of such wool costs about 900 US dollars.
In second place in terms of high cost is knitwear made of cashmere wool. On the third - from natural silk.
How to work with knitwear
10. Spools appear even on expensive knitwear
Spools (they drank) can form on any textile during operation. But with knitwear this happens most often. It is widely believed that only inexpensive knitwear is peeled (covered with pellets). It is not always so. For example, in the case of cotton knitwear, this statement is true. A canvas of high-quality, longest cotton fibers is peeling a little and generally retains a decent look longer.And inexpensive open end cotton jersey from the shortest fibers rolls the most (we talked more about this here).
In the case of wool, clean or with additives, the appearance of pili may not depend on the quality of the fibers from which the knitted threads are woven. There are many factors, from the composition and density of the torsion of the threads to the method of knitting and operating features. Sometimes even expensive, for example, cashmere knitwear is peeled. And this is normal. How to get rid of spools on knitwear, read here.
Photo: Burda, camilabraune.wordpress.com, sheepandstitch.com, intovintage.com.au, fromthebygone.wordpress.com, leleganceblog.wordpress.com, peru.info, Pixabay
