††The first knitting machine was invented in 1589 by the Reverend William Lee, an English clergyman. It was never granted a patent in case it caused unrest amongst hand knitters. In 1816 the stocking frame was developed. This was designed to make tubes of fabric which could easily be converted into tubular garments such as stockings.
During the last century the latch needle was invented, a simple device which paved the way for the development of the modern knitting machine. It was not until the middle of the 20th century that machine knitting was revolutionised with the introduction of synthetic yarns, and coloured dyes.
