The Secret History of Knitting (It's Older Than You Think)

Every time you pick up your knitting needles, you are doing something that hasn't fundamentally changed in over a thousand years. The same stitch. The same motion. The same feeling. But how much do you actually know about where knitting comes from? In this video we travel through the complete history of knitting: from the mysterious origins in ancient Egypt, through the medieval guilds of Europe, through two world wars, all the way to the knitting renaissance happening right now. Along the way you will discover why women were legally banned from turning a heel, how a British minister of war gave us the Kitchener stitch, and why the oldest knitted objects ever found were already more sophisticated than most of us realize. Whether you have been knitting for forty years or forty days, I think this history will surprise you. I hope you enjoy! Best wishes, Annika 🎥 Timestamps: 00:00 intro 00:45 where it all began 03:21 how knitting conquered Europe 07:12 knitting in wartime 11:39 from decline to revival 📚 Knitting Patterns and other resources mentioned: what I'm wearing: Hilja Dress by Ronja Hakalehto: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/RosemaryAndPines/hilja-dress book "The Girl in the Green Sweater: A Life in Holocaust's Shadow" by Krystyna Chiger and Daniel Paisner:* https://amzn.to/4ooioT8 video about Elizabeth Zimmermann: https://youtu.be/yCgnGxzS1YY video about Barbara Walker: https://youtu.be/w26BQUawQno https://www.ravelry.com/ picture source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page source for the Harry Styles cardigan image: https://sites.udel.edu/materialmatters/2026/04/05/the-harry-styles-cardigan-an-exploration-of-craft-knowledge-sharing-during-the-pandemic/ 🌿 Shop my all natural, hand dyed yarns*: https://rosemaryandpinesfa.etsy.com 🧶 My knitting pattern designs: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/annika-scheer 🧶 Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/RosemaryAndPines 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosemaryandpines/ 🌿 Website/Blog: rosemaryandpinesfiberarts.de image credits: The rights to the pictures shown in this video belong to the designers. my content post-production partner: https://crossxmedia.agency/ *This link is an affiliate link. This means I receive a commission through purchases. It does not affect you as a consumer but it is a wonderful way to support my channel. Thank you!