When you think of knitwear, you think of your granny knitting baby booties and as you got older, jumpers knitted with clashing colours, bobble hats and mittens!
When you say knitwear to me, I think of items like the gorgeous Beatnik jumper by Dior from 2006. Knitwear doesn’t have to be like the hideously itchy Aran jumpers you had to wear as child. Today’s jumpers and cardigans are mostly made from finer spun wools that are softer, lightweight, durable and easy to wash.
It was Coco Chanel who revolutionised knitwear by releasing designs made with jersey – a fine-weave material that had been a fabric used for undergarments. The use of jersey was revolutionary as it fitted into people’s new lifestyles. With more women taking up employment after World War 1, the pompous nature of clothes was beginning to decline and cloth needed more ‘give’ than the previously fashionable starched cottons.
Since Chanel changed the face of knitwear, the floodgates were opened for other designers to become more innovative with their designs. Throughout the Second World War, people had to mend and make do with clothes with many children wearing ‘hand-me-downs’. Clothes were practical for the average person and not a statement about one’s personality.
Knitted items have always been a wardrobe staple because knitwear covers a huge range of stitches, wools and patterns so no item has to be completely identical to another. With money being tight for most families, knitwear was always the practical and cheap option as mishaps are easily fixed. I recall my father telling the story of how he unraveled his jumper falling out of a tree as a child. His mother simply got out her knitting needles and re-knitted the jumper with the salvaged wool! Not any people would do that today; they would just go out and buy a new item and many shoppers are starting to realise the implications of cheap clothes.
Of course, there are the ethical issues of making clothes. Often, clothes made in eastern Asian countries are made by women coerced into working long hours without breaks or even children get involved as their families need them to work and can’t afford to send them to school. Clothes knitted in the UK are guaranteed to not be involved in the exploitation of children and the carbon footprint is much lower as goods are not transported thousands of miles by plane or ship.
Knitting has been seen as mainly the domain of the elderly – whether it is grannies knitting booties for their first grandchild or ladies knitting items to send away to our soldiers fighting in foreign countries or disadvantaged children in third world countries. Unsurprisingly, knitting has become fashionable again with celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Sarah Jessica Parker and even Madonna taking up this humble craft. The emergence of ‘Stitch and Bitch’ clubs aimed at recruiting young, hip 20-30 year olds into the loving folds of the knitting community to keep the fashion and passion for knitwear alive. Many of those who get involved readily admit they find knitting calming and take great satisfaction in showing off their talents in displaying the finished product.
Knitwear has always been considered extremely suitable for young babies and toddlers. Firstly, well-knitted clothes are strong and not easily torn by little fingers. Wool can be treated so it can be washed and dried very quickly too. Not only does knitwear provide warmth when a child is most vulnerable to the cold, the weave can be made loose enough to stretch a little as children grow quickly in the early years so that the clothing can last just that little bit longer when parents are short on money. Also, an experienced knitter can knock up a baby’s jumper, a school cardigan or some sweet mittens in a matter of minutes (with locally sourced wool if you are an ethical shopper).
Knitting is a craft that has survived the years because clothes are quick to make, easy to fix, warm and durable. Knitting can be a hobby and a way to express yourself creatively or a gift to share with others.
If you want to view my beautiful knitted products go to http:http://www.babyknitwear.com