Today's knitting needles are reminiscent yet different from the knitting needles used throughout history. These early needles were hooked on the end and made from a variety of materials like copper, bone, wood, amber, ivory, and iron. Hooked knitting needles are still used in some countries like Egypt and Bulgaria.
Speaking of Egypt, they are credited with the beginnings of knitting with a technique known as nålebinding where loops of yarn are looped through stitch by stich using a needle like a large embroidery needle. Nålebinding needles pictured to the right. This eventually evolved to knitting with two needles and is attributed to being developed in the middle east.
Workers from the middle east brought the trade to Europe around the 14th century where needles became pointed and more like the ones we know today. Around the 12th century the use of multiple needles to knit was developed, while circular needles weren't created until much later. The first patent for circular needles was in 1924 Norway for the "Flexiknit". Not until 1982 did circular needles really become functional like they are today with the design by John Moritz Rump and Helmut Heide. The German company Inox knitting needles manufactured this and circular needles that allowed for easier passes between the needle and the cord and less breaking of the cord. Boye released their first circular needle before this in 1935 and the Denise Interchangeable systems was released in the 1960s, but they were plagued by breaking at the join and tearing up yarns much like the "Flexiknit".
Around the 1820 knitting needles gained stoppers on the end to keep all the stitches on needle, though they didn't take off in the UK until about 1850. Shortly after in the 1860's the first knitting needles created through chemical processes were created. The first ones were vulcanized rubber by the Novelty Rubber Company.
Throughout the years knitting needles have remained somewhat the same with small advances throughout the years. The little changes of needles have allowed knitters to knit faster and more comfortably as the technology has developed. However, the great thing about this art form is you can make it is complicated as you with all the technological advances or easily jump into it by improvising a needle just like many people have in the earliest history of knitting.
