Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Everything you've always wanted to know about socks


The surprisingly tumultuous history of socks ~

An unknown Middle Eastern innovator created a new kind of cloth by looping a single piece of thread repeatedly back through itself. Unlike cloth woven from multiple parallel threads, the resulting knit fabric stretched and sprung back. This newfangled cloth could also be knitted in both flat and tubular shapes using just two smooth sticks — no expensive and bulky loom required.
The technique ushered in a lifestyle revolution and became the preferred method for manufacturing short socks, long stockings, gloves and caps.