WW, i am so glad you asked!
-you made that sound perfectly natural, i'll get that check out to you right away! we agreed,$10 to shill for me, right?)You're right crochet uses a single impliment-- a hook (that where the name
crochet comes from--the french word for a little crook (or hook)--et and ette are common suffixes for little (luncheonette,cigarette)
Crochet is rather new, only about 300 to 400 years old, and it was created (some say by french nuns) to make a kind of lace (that would be exempt from sumptuary laws--there is a short thread about sumptuary laws, too, not to old down here somewere)
in crochet, one stitch is made and 'secured' at a time. crochet is versital, but the 'fabric' made with crochet tend to be stiff, and not to elastic (which when you think about it, is a perfect quality for lace!
knitting, is done with needles (2, or 4, or 5, or even a single needle, that is long and flexible, and curved into a circle (so it has 2 tips, even though its a single needle) the fabic is generally softer, and more drapable, and definately much more elastic. so it makes a soft, drapable lace. (lace like fabric, rather than crochets lace like edging)
and knitting is old--realy old. scraps (moth eaten, and rotted) have been found in old world archiology sites, but the best evidence of 'the age' of knitting is from a footprint, that was preserved in an ancient eygptian tomb--which clearly shows evidence of a knit sock (some one with a knit sock on his foot, stepped in a muddy puddle, and left a image in the mud. in time the puddle dried, and it preserved an image of the sock)
Knitting dispersed slowly, but after the crusades, it spread rapdly through out western europe. (there are lots of painting, the earliest dating to about the 14th century of the madonna knitting--not to much evidence before that of knitting in europe)
by the 1600's, knitting was a guilded craft-- the purtains brought over guilded knitters to settle in new england--of course, their knitters earned their mastery in holland, since as dissetents, they couldn't get entry in to english guilds (from apprentice to master was 6 years of study!)
In spite of the guilds in london, knitting remained to some degree a home craft(as did weaving) and unlike weaving, knitting was a 'pick up and put down craft' that could be practiced on and off, and didn't require a loom or fancy tools-- needle were simple dowels, with shaped and sanded tips. it was popular in the norther, more remote regions of europe and UK, since it was cheap, warm, elastic, and could be made easily with material at hand
looms require a lot of wood to make, and some skill to operate, and the output, cloth, still has to cut, fitted and sewn before it becomes a garment. a knit sweater comes off the needle faster, will few materials to make, and its immediately ready to wear! in pre industrial times, knitting garment took half the time to make as woven one..
(and that was part of knitting bane--it was the clothing of the poor generally, not the rich --though King Charlie went to the block wearing a knitted sweater--he wanted to be able to remove his jacket, and not shiver in the cold--lest it be though he was shaking with fear!--the knit diamond pattern that was used in his shirt is now called King Charle's diamond.(you can see 'charlie' wearing a replica at Madame Tussards!)
In scandinavia, norther scotland, the hebridies, and a whole bunch of island in the north sea, knitting took root and blossomed...
today, many prized knitting techniques trace themselves to these areas--Fair Isle (one of the northern island of UK, in the north sea became famous for a style of knitting that use 2 strands of yarn (which made the sweaters/garments thicker) but unlike the plain twin knitting of scandinavia, the women of Fair isle uses the natual tones, and dyed white wools to make colorful knitted patterns --still know to day as 'fair isle knitting'.
in the shetlands, (of pony fame!) the woman specialize in fine fluffy wools, that they spun to make very fine thread (finer say than embroidery thread--for you guys, thinner than the wires in a twisted pair) they uses this fine yarn to make lacy shawls --sometimes called wedding ring shawls, because a 3 foot square shawl, was made of material, was so light, and so fine, it could pass through a wedding ring!
These shetland shawls are some of the finest lace knitting...(i'll go look for some pictures..)
nowdays, lacy square shawls are often called 'shetland' shawl, even if they have never even been close to a shetland pony, let alone, the shetland islands!
further south, in Guersey, a different style of knitting evolved, 'boat neck' and flat patterned designs. west, in the aran island of ireland, patterns took on deep texture, with cables, (made to look like fishermand ropes) and bobbles (like the floats on the nets) and criss crossing designs, to look like the netting evolved..
In recent years, (the past 100!) these styles have moved out of their narrow areas, and become more common.(especially in US, Canada, and other english speaking areas,(OZ, NZ) were imigrants brought their techniques with them, and they became dispersed--some times specific things helped to popularize a knitting style..
aran sweaters became popular when the clancy brothers started wearing them in their early concerts in the 1950's. by the 1960's they were very popular, and nowdays, many an 'aran sweater' comes to you straight from china!
i know several sites that have 'knitwear galleries' you can just look and see a range of knitting styles, including some lace--like this one..
http://users.rcn.com/kdyer.dnai/history.html be sure to check out the H's!-there are 2 lacy objects displayed for sure!--not fine lace, but lacy clothing.
i'll go find some other sites, and post some specific links to knit lace (like lace chrismas balls!) or lace scarves, or lace 'bookmarks', and other lace knitting.
(and look in for my post on the double helix scarf--that someone knit as part of a discertaion on microbiology!--down here somewhere.)
i am as crazy about knitting as i am about words.. i stop knitting every once in a while but, like stopping here, i don't ever quite quit..and for the past year, i have been very busy knitting--sweaters, capes, household items, hats, scarves... lace bookmarks, socks, lots of things!
(and i know for a fact, several poster here are also knitters..)
one of the new crazes in knitting, is specific style of lace shawl from russia-- as many new immigrants come to US, Canada and other country, they are teaches us old knitters new tricks..
OP
