The Art of Knitting: A Visit to Creative Anthills

Last week, I was opportune to attend an exhibition tagged ‘Creative Anthills: exhibition of knitting, crocheting, weaving, quilting, installation of honour of Chinua Achebe’ by Dr. Ubah RitaDoris of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Image Credit: Ejiofor Ekene Maduabuchi, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The exhibition was done in favour of… oh! Yes, you guessed it right; Chinua Achebe the great author of the African experience. Also important was the fact that the venue and time of the exhibition had a symbolic attribute: ‘305 Marguerite Cartwright Avenue, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, is Achebe’s former residence at the University; November 16 happens to be his birthday.

Image Credit: Ejiofor Ekene Maduabuchi, UNN.

While at the exhibition, I was amazed at the beautiful display of art all done by Dr. Ubah RitsDoris. She really is a master at knitting. The beauty of the works was really breath-taking and exposed the aesthetics of African art. This appeal, made me realise that I needed to write something on Knitting.

Before I bring to the reader what Knitting is all about, I’ll love to make a statement as quoted by Chinua Achebe. He said, “art is man’s constant effort to create for himself a different order of reality from that which is given to him.” 

Image Credit: Ejiofor Ekene Maduabuchi, UNN.

Many have seen the beauty in knitting be it in clothes, table covers, bed-lings etc. But very few pay attention to ask how those things were made as knitted materials stand out from other textile patterns.

 

What is Knitting?

According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Knitting is a method by which yarn are manipulated to create a textile of fabric. This can be achieved either by hand or with the use of a machine. During knitting multiple loops of yarn, known as stitches, are created in a line or tube. Knitting has multiple active stitches on the needle at one time while knitted fabric is made up of a number of consecutive rows of interlocking loops. As a row progresses, the result is that a newly created loop is pulled through one or more loops from the previous row, placed on the gaining needle, and the loops from the previous row are then pulled off the other needle.

Image Credit: Ejiofor Ekene Maduabuchi, UNN

As the work progresses, the result is something absolutely beautiful and appealing as different types of yarns, stitch types and needle sizes may be used to create knitted textile or fabrics with different features such as texture, colour, weight,  look etc.

The word knitting according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is said to be derived from the word ‘knot’ and ultimately from the Old English ‘cnyttan’, to knot.

The practice is said to have begun in ancient times as evidence show that Egypt made cotton socks with stranded knit colour patterns from the end of the first millennium AD.

It was not until the early fifteenth century that the first commercial knitting guilds appeared in Western Europe. 

Also Read: FASHION: A Never Ending Phenomenon in Human History

Materials Needed

Materials and tools required for knitting include yarn usually sold as balls or hanks in the case of hand-knitting, glass/wax, knitting needles and knitting machine as the case may be. The needles can come either in wood, metal, bamboo or plastic and are specially designed for picking yarn and preventing stitches from slipping off. They also come in different sizes and shapes ranging from the very small knitting needles to Julia Hopson’s record breaking 3.5-meter-long knitting needles.  Other tools may include knitting spools, crotchet hooks, darning needle, a pair of scissors etc.

Benefits of Knitting

Image Credit: Ejiofor Ekene Maduabuchi, UNN.

Knitting, especially hand-knitting has been proven by studies to provide several significant health benefits. Studies show that rhythmic and continuous action of hand-knitting help in the prevention and management of body stress, pain and depression, which helps to strengthen the body’s immune system.

Knitted materials possess great beauty and have provided billions of Dollars to the textile industry. Knitted fabric are also known to retain heat, are dust and water proof and good for cold weather.