Knitted socks were found in an Egyptian tomb dating from 300 AD. However, with early artefacts it’s difficult to tell whether garments were created using two needles, as in traditional knitting, or by using one needle (naalbinding).

By the 1300s knitting had spread into Europe. There are Italian paintings of knitting Madonnas that date from the early 14th century.

Knitting took off in a big way in Britain during the Elizabethan era. At that time knitting was a jealously-guarded male profession, with guilds to ensure exclusivity.

In the 17th and 18th centuries Scotland had a booming hand knitting industry. Whole families knitted all manner of garments, leading to the development of the famous Fair Isle and Aran (cable stitch) patterns.