Where Did the World's Oldest Knitwear Come From? (Egyptian Socks, etc.)

"Knitting": An Invention Newer Than "Cloth"

The knitwear we casually slip on is actually a relatively “new invention” in the long history of human clothing.
While techniques such as “weaving” and “sewing” fabric have existed since ancient times,The concept of “knitting”—forming shapes by looping a single strand of yarn...belongs to a completely different evolutionary lineage.

When and where did the act of “knitting” first originate? It remains a mystery that continues to be debated among scholars.

However, there is one thing that is certain.
It is because the art of “knitting” brings people"Softness" and "Suppleness"...which brought about this new value.
Knitwear, which offers a freedom of shape and texture that woven fabrics cannot achieve,From Tools to Ward Off the Cold to a Culture of Wrapping Ourselves in Comfort...and gradually changed into.

If we trace the origins of this journey of knitwear, we see that it began between the yarn and the needles and eventually spread beyond the boundaries of civilization.“The World’s Oldest Knit”The story begins to unfold.

What Is the Oldest “Knit”? — The Line Between “Knitting” and “Sewing”

What exactly does the term “knit” refer to in the first place?
While woven fabrics are made by interlacing warp and weft threads, knitted fabrics areShape is created by forming a single thread into a continuous loop (stitch)In that respect, they are completely different.
It is this “loop structure” that gives knitwear its unique elasticity and softness.

However, if we trace the origins of knitting, we find that it did not originally take the form of modern knitting needles or knitting as we know it today.
In ancient times, before people had knitting needles,A technique for creating fabric “as if by sewing” using just a single needle and threadwas producing.
That is the technique known as “Nalbinding” (needle weaving).

Naliving is a technique that lies precisely “between sewing and knitting,” in which a short strand of thread is threaded through a needle to form a loop, which is then passed through a previously knitted stitch and tied off.
Although the finished product resembles knitted fabric, it cannot be unraveled because the process involves repeatedly cutting and joining the yarn.
This “structure that cannot be unraveled” existed in the era before knitting.Primitive Knitted Fabric...was a characteristic of it.

Archaeologically speaking, artifacts from this Na-Riving culture have been discovered in various parts of the world.
Costumes from Scandinavian mummies, ruins in Peru, and—most famously—socks from the Coptic period in Egypt (3rd–5th centuries).
All of these are considered the ancestors of “knitting,”The Beginnings of Modern KnitwearIt is believed to indicate [...].

The World's Oldest Knitted Artifact: Egypt's "Coptic Socks"

The item known as the world's oldest surviving "knitted garment" is,Wool socks made during the Coptic period in Egypt (approximately the 3rd to 5th centuries)That's it.
The term “Coptic” refers to the Christians of ancient Egypt. Thanks to the arid climate of the region where they lived, numerous textiles and dyed fabrics were well-preserved in the sand, and among them, a pair of “knitted socks” was discovered.

These socks are designed with separate toes for the big toe and the other toes, andA practical design meant to be worn with sandalsThat was it.
They are made of wool. Some are dyed red, blue, or yellow using natural dyes and feature geometric patterns or lines.
At first glance, their shape appears no different from modern socks, but they are actually made using the “needle-weaving” technique introduced in the previous chapter.
It was an extremely labor-intensive method in which the fabric was created by gradually knitting with a single needle and a short piece of thread, then joining the loops together.

Archaeologists believe these socks,“The Origins of Knitwear Culture”We position it as such.
It is not merely a piece of clothing; it is also a testament to humanity’s creativity—the ability to create three-dimensional forms using nothing but thread and a needle.
Knitters of that era likely did so not only to protect themselves from the cold, but also to,Cultural significance, such as prayer and decorationIt is believed that she knitted it with that sentiment in mind.

The idea of creating soft, stretchy fabric from yarn. When you consider that it all began with a pair of small socks made by a desert people, the story of “knitting”—which continues to this day—feels all the more profound.

Image Source for the Illustration

Children's Socks (British Museum, EA 53913)
Place of discovery: Antinoupolis (Egypt) / Period: ca. 200–400 CE / Technique: needle weaving
© The Trustees of the British Museum.
Source: British Museum collection online

The Spread of Knitting Culture: From the Arab World to Europe

The art of “weaving,” which originated in Egypt, eventually crossed the desert, sailed across the sea, and spread throughout the vast Islamic world.
The culture of needlework, which began with Naling, is,Refined by artisans in the Arab world, featuring intricate woven patterns and three-dimensional pouch-like fabric...is created.
This technology was transmitted to cities along the Mediterranean coast through trade and pilgrimage, and was passed on to Spain in the 13th century and to Northern Europe in the 14th century.

At that time, “knitting” was still a very rare craft in Europe.
Early knitwear, which was used as attire by the church and royalty,Religious Symbolism and NobilityIt combined both of these qualities.
In Spain, beautiful geometric patterns influenced by Islamic culture are featured, and“Prayer gloves” and “decorative sleeves on liturgical vestments”It is said that it was also produced as such.

By the 14th and 15th centuries, their practicality as cold-weather gear had come to be recognized in Northern Europe, andEveryday clothing items such as gloves, hats, and socksKnits became popular as a result.
Sources from this period also confirm the use of a technique similar to modern knitting, in which wool yarn is twisted into fine strands and used to create continuous loops with straight needles, and
It was right around this time that from Naling...The Evolution Toward “Knitting”It is believed that this is when it began.

Eventually, knitting evolved into a craft practiced by the common people, transcending religious and class boundaries.
Where Arab wisdom meets the European climate,
Knitwear has transformed from a “tool for prayer” into a “fabric for daily life,” andThe Art of Weaving Culture...and gradually became an integral part of people's daily lives.