Knitting is not a profession for most of us who pick up needles these day. It is something we do, a hobby, or past time. However, that has not always been the case.
Knitting was an essential skill well into the mid-20th century. Before the Industrial Revolution, knitting was a true cottage industry, with every member of a family making knitted goods. The two World Wars encouraged those at home to knit scarves, sock, sweaters and gloves for those fighting the war thus providing a way for mothers, sisters, and girlfriends to contribute to the war effort. Even as late as the 1960's handmade knit- or crochet-wears were seen on the runways. During the late 20th century knitting did become something out of vogue and generally only something older people did. Scarves, gloves, sweaters and socks all became so much more affordable at the local department store there seemed little need to make your own. Then in the early 21st century with the advent of new types of yarns and an interest in one doing more of their own cooking, gardening, clothes making, etc., hobbyists numbers grew and it no longer remained a "granny" thing to do.
If one is knitting for fun the speed with which it is done becomes irrelevant. I use the Throw or English method of knitting, but there is the Continental, Portuguese and Lever styles as well. All these styles are highlighted in one website by OMG! Heart. If you are interested in changing up your style, review the different ways to hold the needles and/or yarn, or if you just want to improve your speed of knitting, I strongly recommend spending time on this link. There are videos to watch as well.
Just in case you don't look at everything on OMG! Heart's blog, here's a short clip of the fastest knitter in the world, Hazel Tindall. I've got a long way to go to get anywhere near her speed, 262 stitches in 3 minutes or 87 stitches per minute, that's fast. I've been thrilled with a measly 25 stitches per minute.
Since there's no real segue from knitting speed to a knit banana, I won't even try to develop one. Shown is the banana and peel I knit up recently. This one allows the owner to unzip the peel and remove the banana.
Knitting was an essential skill well into the mid-20th century. Before the Industrial Revolution, knitting was a true cottage industry, with every member of a family making knitted goods. The two World Wars encouraged those at home to knit scarves, sock, sweaters and gloves for those fighting the war thus providing a way for mothers, sisters, and girlfriends to contribute to the war effort. Even as late as the 1960's handmade knit- or crochet-wears were seen on the runways. During the late 20th century knitting did become something out of vogue and generally only something older people did. Scarves, gloves, sweaters and socks all became so much more affordable at the local department store there seemed little need to make your own. Then in the early 21st century with the advent of new types of yarns and an interest in one doing more of their own cooking, gardening, clothes making, etc., hobbyists numbers grew and it no longer remained a "granny" thing to do.
If one is knitting for fun the speed with which it is done becomes irrelevant. I use the Throw or English method of knitting, but there is the Continental, Portuguese and Lever styles as well. All these styles are highlighted in one website by OMG! Heart. If you are interested in changing up your style, review the different ways to hold the needles and/or yarn, or if you just want to improve your speed of knitting, I strongly recommend spending time on this link. There are videos to watch as well.
Just in case you don't look at everything on OMG! Heart's blog, here's a short clip of the fastest knitter in the world, Hazel Tindall. I've got a long way to go to get anywhere near her speed, 262 stitches in 3 minutes or 87 stitches per minute, that's fast. I've been thrilled with a measly 25 stitches per minute.
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| The Banana unzipped |
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| The Banana zipped |
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