knitting

Method of making fabric by looping and knotting yarn, originally with two or four needles. Knitting may have developed from crochet, which uses a single, hooked needle, or from netting.

A mechanized process for making stockings was developed in the 16th century, but it was not until the mid-20th century that the invention of the knitting machine revolutionized production. The machine, along with the introduction of synthetic yarns, coloured dyes, and methods of texturing and elasticizing, made the production of knitted fabric a far less time-consuming process.