A History of Hand Knitting

by Richard Rutt

This work tells the history of hand knitting. Rutt traces the mysterious history of this craft from ancient times to the present, examining museum collections, literary evidence and popular legends.

Genres: Knitting, History, Nonfiction, Crafts, Audiobook, Reference, Research

4 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Cecil Richard Rutt CBE, was an English Roman Catholic priest and a former Anglican bishop.

Rutt spent almost 20 years of his life serving as an Anglican missionary in South Korea, a country for which he developed a deep affection. He was perhaps the last of the line of scholar-missionaries, beginning with James Scarth Gale, Homer B. Hulbert, George Heber Jones and the Anglican bishop Mark Napier Trollope who laid the foundations of what is now known as Korean studies. Some years after he retired as an Anglican bishop, Rutt was one of several Anglicans received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1994. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest the following year and spent the closing years of his life in Cornwall.

Reviews

[Emily]

Believe it or not, I started this little history over a month ago: while I was wading through the blood and guts of Blood Meridian, I occasionally needed something with which to decompress, to take my mind off the gore and scalpings and other grotesqueries that make up McCarthy's novel. And what could be less offensive or more charming to a knitter like myself than Richard Rutt's classic treatise A History of Hand Knitting? Nothing, that's what. I leapt in and interspersed passages from Rutt whenever McCarthy got to be a little too much, a method that kept up my enjoyment of both books quite nicely until I finished the McCarthy and was left with unmitigated Rutt. At which point I immediately stalled. Don't get me wrong, Rutt has his excellent points: he's not only a knowledgeable guide through the history of my craft in the British Isles, but also thoroughly and unintentionally hilarious as only an Englishman can be. I could picture him (in my mind he looks a lot like John Cleese), sitting by his living-room fire with his brandy-snifter, wearing his clerical collar and discoursing with affable long-windedness about various aspects of his pet subject, perhaps boring his house-guests with his strong opinions, although they would probably be too polite to say so. Take this passage, in which he puts forth his view on the proper term for "plain knitting" (the most basic knitted fabric, flat on one side and bumpy on the other):

This fabric is known in the British Isles as 'stocking stitch', a clumsy name including the imprecise word 'stitch.' It was formerly known as 'stockinet', which was probably derived from 'stocking-net.' In America it is called 'stockinette', with a fancy Frenchification of the spelling which is curiously at odds with the rationalism of received American spelling. The older English word has much to recommend it, and I have used it freely in this book.

Oh, Bishop Rutt. So much is funny to me here: his bluntness in bemoaning the "clumsiness" of the term "stocking stitch"; his disapproval of us Americans and our inconsistency in allowing a "fancy Frenchification" to enter our vocabulary; his reversion to a superior English word (of course the English word is superior!), and his neglect of any English-speaking knitters outside the British/American dichotomy. We don't know the term used by Australian and Canadian knitters, and frankly, implies Rutt, we don't care. (As far as I know, Rutt's "fancy Frenchification" has since become the worldwide standard; an overwhelming percentage of the global population of Ravelry.com uses "stockinette.")

After the introduction and definition-of-terms sections, Rutt's style settles down to business and becomes a bit dryer. It also becomes a bit more...disorganized. Rutt seems, to me, to belong to the old school of amateur nonfiction writers, laboring away at their books in their off hours, imbuing their manuscripts with their own quirks and biases, and never being exposed to much rigor in the way of editing or streamlining their texts. At times, Rutt's book seems less like a unified narration and more like a series of marginally collected notes: in the section on knitting during the Victorian period, for example, Rutt is in full swing discussing the popularity, among women at home, of knitting for English troops during the Crimean War. Then, with no warning or transition, the reader is faced with the new section-heading "Teacosies," which begins "Teacosies were invented by the Victorians, but, though some connoisseurs of tea believe cosies spoil tea by stewing it, they are not decorative trivia." No connection is ever made between the Crimean War and the vogue for teacosies, which is understandable, because there isn't one. Nonetheless, a basic run-down in high-school-level paragraph transitions would have done a lot to streamline the logic of Rutt's text. I found that it got even choppier as it progressed, degenerating into a series of mostly-unconnected short biographies of the major designers and knitting innovators of the twentieth century.

Rutt is also big into debunking knitting myths. From a historical perspective, I respect and applaud him for his accuracy on this, but at times he comes across as a bit of a wet blanket. About half the section headings feature Rutt dismantling one errant idea or another: in the section on fishermens' ganseys, for example (a traditional form of knitted shirt made around the coastline of England in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries), he discusses the common romantic notion that each clan or family had a characteristic set of stitch patterns that were passed down through the generations. Not true, says Rutt: all over England, ganseys looked the same. (He discredits this same idea all over again in the section on Aran cabled jumpers.) In the afore-mentioned section about the Crimean War, he discusses the popular idea that the garment "balaclava" got its name from the Battle of Balaclava, and that this is the first place soldiers wore such a thing. Untrue! cries Rutt: the garments themselves existed long before the war, and the modern name for them didn't come into use until many years afterward. Alright then. LIkewise, while it's true that the term "cardigan" derives from the title of the Earl of Cardigan, the man who led the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade, Rutt hastens to assure us that

There is no evidence that he wore such a garment during the three short months he spent in the Crimea...A "cardigan body warmer" might have suited his needs, but, if he had one in the Crimea, nobody recorded it. It is more likely that he used the garment during his last years at Deene Park, Northamptonshire. English country houses were notoriously cold.

And so on. I certainly wouldn't want Rutt to sacrifice accuracy, but he seems to take greater glee in debunking romantic misconceptions than in communicating the truly amazing and unusual aspects of knitting history, or even conveying an interest in his subject.

And there are many interesting tidbits stashed away in this book of his, if only he would highlight them. (See that subject transition? Eh?) For example, he discusses the moral outrage that accompanied the rise of knitting during the Elizabethan era: ministers were preaching against it from the pulpit, a fact which is sure to bring a smile to any modern knitter's face. It turns out that stocking-knitting became big business in Elizabethan times, primarily because of the male fashion for extremely short "trunk hose" giving way to brilliantly-colored, tight-fitting stockings (the classic "men in tights" look). Apparently, the fashion in stockings for upper-class men changed so frequently and dramatically that poor cottagers all over England could make extra money by churning out the newest style and selling their wares to wealthy Londoners. In fact, so fickle were the fashions that, even though machine knitting had been invented, it wouldn't really be practical for another hundred years: a machine was a large capital investment that could only knit one type of stocking, whereas a hand-knitter was infinitely versatile and could start immediately. Women's stockings were less flamboyant, but still too showy for many preachers, who reprimanded Elizabethan ladies for their vanity and lack of modesty in showing off their legs. (No record of reprimands to the men, whose outfits were even more revealing.)

Anyway, not something I would recommend except to those seriously committed to learning more about the subject, who are probably the only people who would be tempted to pick it up in the first place. So it's all good.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to believe that in a world where hardcover books filled with full-color photos devoted to topics such as salt-and-pepper shakers, or mullets, have a place, there's little written (and much less photographed) history of handknitting. This well-researched, if out of date (much of the research extends no further than mid-twentieth century) book makes me feel less lonely in pursuing the topic: it covers knitting traditions in all regions to which it's native, and even includes illustrations of the pre-knitting fabric structures. Good work, Mr Rutt.

[Jinjifore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although Rutt himself admits that his work is not complete, and in fact expresses his hopes that some later scholar might improve upon it, his History of Hand Knitting remains one of the most thorough histories of knitting to date. There are certainly pieces of his work that have been disputed and even disproven, but that was, I feel, part of the reason he published in the first place: to set the facts out as he found them, and invite others to continue his research.[return][return]Despite its occasional flaws and inaccuracies, this is still a good read, and still one of the touchstone works of knitting history.

[Amber Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

At times too much, and at times not enough is what I'd say of this book. I'd had the impression knitting was an ancient craft and was sad to learn it's only Medieval-era or so, not truly ancient. I was also sad to learn Aran patterns are basically modern, and that "identifying" styles of ganseys are total myths.
The problems of this book: The tone as others have noted is terribly dry, very academic. There are also not near enough color photographs, not enough examples of knitted pieces, and NO patterns. I'm irked that there is not a photograph of "traditional" vs "polite" styles of holding the needles...I found the only sketch of a hand grip too confusing to really grasp because it's from the perspective of looking at the knitter, not from the knitter's view looking at the yarn. I also thought photos of knitting frames (referenced) and photos/more discussion of how on earth knitting sheaths were used needed to be included.

I was actually trying to research authentic Victorian patterns. I wanted examples and photos of caps and such. Mostly this book talks about socks and mittens in that time frame, I would have loved some photos of seamen wearing caps....I have seen some of those I swear! It felt like this chapter swept through what people knitted aside from socks, mitts and gloves too rapidly.

My hope is that another history of knitting will be written by an author with a more lively style, maybe have translations of old patterns, have tips on how to translate outdated patterns for yourself, and tips on knitting past patterns for yarny historians.

This is an ok read for the history and knitting minded, but has deficiencies of many kinds.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, the book is well researched and interesting. The author is hesitant to make assumptions (which is nice) but does seem to have strong opinions on the proper way to hold your knitting needles.

This is a nice introduction to the history of hand knitting with a focus on the UK. This is a huge area of research and the author is trying to satisfy both an academic and casual reader's interest in the topic. For this reason there seems to be a lot of "dropped stitches". Areas where I could really have used more information - how exactly was a knitting sheath used? What is the reason why the term worsted was used for many weights of yarn? What weight would have been most common? What breeds of sheep were most common in England prior to the use of merino by the middle class.

The book is a good, fast read. It isn't overly dense and has inspired me to read more on this topic. It reminded me of what I love about textile history: the items we use every day speak so much about our lives and what we value. This is as true today as it was historically.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wind your yarn around a goose thropple (windpipe) containing a few small stones. If you drop the ball the rattle of stones will help you find it.
This clever idea comes to you from 19th century English Dales and is just one example of the fun facts found in “A History of Hand Knitting”.

Another one is the debunking of The Irish Sweater Myth - turns out those beautiful heavy cables didn’t appear in Ireland until the beginning of the 20th Century. And the style was probably brought back to Ireland by expats returning from America! Marketers realized the potential and built the fad!

If you are like me, curious but not a dedicated historian, this book might be a bit underwhelming. It is a reference book, meticulously research, thoroughly documented and with detailed citations for further investigation. If you need background for you novel about knitters on The Fair Isles - this is the book to get you started. But there is no narrative thread and the focus is really on knitting in the British Isles.
I found the information interesting but the detail tedious.

[Janneke Maat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geweldig boek, ik heb het al diverse keren geluisterd. Het is voor mij uitnodigend om op het internet meer informatie op te zoeken, meer te willen weten, oude breiboeken te bestuderen. Dit boek zou ik graag als hard copy hebben, om de illustraties te bekijken, referenties te lezen etc.

[Asia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely in-depth and interesting look into what knitting is, how it came to be, and what distinguishes it from other, similar fiber crafts throughout the ages.

[NoBeatenPath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I have both read the full book and listened to the audiobook which is an abridged version.

This is probably currently the most authoritative book on knitting written in English. While it does have some gaps, and Rutt puts forward some suggestions that have since been disproven, it is a delight to read and full of information for anyone interested in knitting, or the history of textile crafts. It is an academic book but is written in a style that makes it accessible to scholars and 'interested amateurs' alike.

I want to address some of the criticisms of this book I have seen here on Goodreads and elsewhere.


Firstly there is the 'it is not a good book because I was sad to be disabused of the notion that knitting is an ancient craft/something the vikings did/that Aran jumpers are an ancient tradition/that ganseys were knit with personal identifiers for drowned sailors/etc.' To not like a NON-FICTION book because it sets out the historical truth probably says more about certain readers than Richard Rutt!

Second is the complaint it is too dry. Well, while it is not a super-academic account it is written as a 'scholarly' work, long before narrative non-fiction became a 'thing'. If you are looking for lighter reading (that is still great and highly informative) on knitting try This Golden Fleece: A Journey Through Britain's Knitted History .

Third is the 'it's too European/British-centric'. There are lots of books out there on the history of knitting in America. Let's have some balance.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all I enjoyed this book.

Some aspects of knitting had too much focus and others didn't have enough in my opinion. I feel like so much was written about before the 1500's that more modern day knitting weren't focused on enough to keep the book from being too long. Also there was too much focus on things that weren't actually knitting. We got whole sections on things that ended up being braids or woven items. It also ended super abruptly.

I really liked how the first chapter was on things that are similar to knitting, such as crochet and netting, and how they are different.

I would like to get my own copy one day

[Tahlia Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning about hand knitting; I would have liked to have listened to the unabridged version, had I owned it. I learned quite a bit from this book and found the narrator pleasant to listen to.

This book is a 4.25/5 for me. It might have rated higher if I had listened to the unabridged version instead.

[Melissa Croy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. Debunked some myths and got a much greater understanding of the history of the craft. A great deal of detail and very informative. Agree with other critiques that the material could be better organized/structured, but I am glad to have read nonetheless.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focus on the history of knitting in the British Isles. Scanned this for info more than read it thoroughly, but it was interesting, with many photos and details about patterns and techniques. Well documented.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dry overall, but just what I've been looking for, so I'm pleased!

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

B. nonfiction, lots of interesting information and history, fair share of conjecture.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly a work of passion.

[Joyce]

Gooooood

[Jalyna Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of great information here that came in handy for my research.

[Bishop Juneblood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this book!

[Rachel Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed thoughts on this book. Some parts I found interesting, such as the chapter on Shetland knitting (but then I would, given that I come from Shetland, and a long line of knitters!). But other chapters were tedious, especially the early chapters on the origins of knitting (which never seemed to come to a conclusion, presumably because nobody knows how, where and when knitting began). I think I was hoping for more description of how knitting had changed over time such as types of yarn, needles and techniques. There was too much detail on individual pieces of fabric and garments. I may have enjoyed the Shetland chapter overall but the detailed description of the stitches of the Gunnister man's clothing was rather boring.

I listened to the audio version. The narrator is good, but I assume the print version has illustrations which would make the book more interesting.

[Varina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly thorough, but very dry history of knitting, primarily in the British isles. You have to be VERY interested in the minutiae of knitting history to enjoy this and I found myself skimming much of the book. Rutt frequently would glance off a really interesting issue of, say, knitting and social class or the changing relationship between knitting and gender, then go back to writing extensive details about the shape of knitting sheaths in the Dales in the late 19th century, or something like that. *le sigh*

[James Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was well-written but a little too technical for me. I was thinking the book would focus on a brief history of knitting and then give examples of historical turning points with respect to knitting and textiles. What I got was a very detailed history of knitting and a lot of descriptions of many different stitches and their origins and what other stitches were influenced by them.

All in all this would be a very good book if you had a keen interest in or a developed skillset in the art of knitting. I have neither but I still enjoyed this book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat out of date, and highly focused on Britain, but nevertheless a fascinating look at the history of hand knitting. Great photographs of old knitted pieces (although apparently there are supposed to be some color plates, which are not in the used copy I bought thru Alibris). Really enjoyable as my bedtime reading for the past couple of weeks.

[Wendy Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the history jumps around a bit, the information is fabulous. It gives you many jumping off points to follow the history in areas that may appeal to the interested knitter to pursue. If you are not a knitter then it might not be a book for you, but anyone who knits and has a interest in how the craft developed, it's a great read. I'm very glad I read it.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

IF you want to know something about the history of knitting and you can find this book at anything approaching a reasonable price - BUY IT! Otherwise, use an inter-library loan so that you can read it. WARNING - I have seen copies on Amazon for $154.00. It isn't worth that much! IF you are doing Level 2 of the Master Knitter program you will want to read this book.

[Crissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a ton of great information on the history of knitting, but be warned, it's a bit... academic. There were a couple of times that I realized that I'd quit reading and was just turning pages because my brain was full. Taken in small doses, though, it's an amazing book.

[Lisa Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unless you knit, skip this one. I thought it was REALLY interesting, but that would be the knitting thing. I cannot imagine why anyone who does not knit would read this. And there are surely a great number of knitters who would find this excruciating. I like the history thing. What can I say?

[Knitpurlgurl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely interesting book about the origins and history of hand knitting around the world. My only criticism is that the book is only available abridged on audiobook and that the narrator reads as though she's reading a text book. Otherwise, the content and writing is very good!

[Kimberli · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the only accounts of the history of knitting.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the abridged audio December 2009. The whole book is better, of course!