The language of Yarn – The origins of knitting and crochet terms

Knitters and crocheters around the globe share a deep love of their craft, but they use different words to describe the details of the things they do. If you'd like to take a journey around the wonderful world of woolly words, walk this way.

Where does the word 'knit' originate?

The word 'knit' has been used in England for 1000 years or more. It comes from the old English word 'cnyttan', to tie in a knot. By the twelfth century the verb meant making string into a net, and by 1530 it was being used to describe something woven in a series of interlocking loops using two needles. The 1500s saw knit become a noun, first describing a basic knit stitch then describing knitted fabric itself.

What about 'crochet'?

This one's nice and simple. Crochet is derived from the French word 'crochet' which simply means 'a small hook'.

How about 'purl'?

The word purl comes from the ancient Scots word pirl, which meant 'twist'. A purl stitch is the second foundation stitch for knitting, and the word dates back to the fourteenth century. Originally it didn't describe the stitch itself but the beautiful gold and silver thread used for embroidery, often decorative edging work on knitted garments.

Where does 'yoke' come from?

The word yoke describes the fitted piece at a garment's shoulder and dates back to the 1800s. An earlier meaning referred to a wooden frame used to link two working animals together, and its origins date back at least 1000 years.

What's the history of 'intarsia'?

All knits involve just two stitches, knit and purl. But there are countless ways to use the two basic stitches to create new patterns. One of them is 'intarsia', which involves creating a multicoloured design from several different balls of wool.

Fair Isle knitting is intarsia work, where the knitter holds a contrasting colour behind the knitting. They then weave the edges of the contrasting colour into the edges of the main colour so there's no stranding over the back. Turn it inside out and you see a mirror image of the pattern from the outside. The word intarsia comes from Italy, originally describing a complex framed mosaic made of different woods. The first case of the English use of the word came about in 1867 and it finally became part of the knitting lexicon in the mid-1900s.

Where does 'swatch' originate?

Every good knitter creates a gauge swatch, a small square of knitting that works as a test-drive, using the same needles and yarn as you would for the actual project. It reveals what the final item will look like, and helps you to understand the number of stitches per centimetre. Swatch entered the English language during the 1500s, a name for the tag people fixed to cloth sent away to dyers. Owners could find their cloth amongst many other people's cloth thanks to their own unique swatch. These days a swatch describes any small piece of fabric.

Why's it called a 'cardigan'?

Some say an English person's home is their castle. We say it's their cardigan! In 1862 what had originally been merely a split jacket became the cardigan we all know and love, thanks to the seventh earl of Cardigan, well known as a sharp dresser. His knitted woollen vests, split down the front, kept him warm during the Crimean war, and thanks to his glittering military career the name spread fast.

What's the origin of the word 'raglan'?

One of the 7^th Earl of Cardigan's commanding officers was the first Baron Raglan, Fitzroy James Henry Somerset, who lived from 1788 to 1855. He wore a loose-fitting overcoat with sleeves that extended all the way to the neckline instead of stopping at the shoulder, and the word 'raglan' originally became used to describe that style of coat. Now it's a sleeve thing, and most knitters would recognise a raglan sleeve.

How about 'ravel'?

Ravelry is a social network for knitters, crocheters, spinners and weavers. But the word ravel once meant 'to knit together' in much the same way as 'unravel' means to take apart. When the word first arrived in the English language, in the 1500s, it meant something entangled. Less than a century later it was being used to describe tangled yarn or thread.

When you knit or crochet, you tap into history

Every time you buy wool, grab your needles and tackle a new knit or crochet project, you're tapping directly into a suite of ancient words that reveal the origins of your craft. And that makes the whole thing even more exciting. You are not merely knitting or crocheting, you're making history.