Knit With It Trivia Quiz

Answer: False

Most historians agree that knitting originated with male Arabian sailors and was basically a male-only craft until fairly recently in its history. In many non-western cultures knitting has remained prominent amongst men and is now considered a unisex hobby.

Answer: Standard

The "old" UK and Australian knitting needle sizing system had the smallest needles with the largest numbers, with a 2mm needle being a size 14. The current US system is just the opposite. A 2mm needle in US sizing is a size 0. The metric sizing is just what it sounds like. Needle sizes are represented by their width in millimeters.

Answer: Copper

Early knitting needles were usually made from bone, ivory or tortoise shell. With the legal issues surrounding some these substances, new materials were found, and examples of these old needles are very difficult to find, though even new examples of bone needles can be found. Modern needles are typically aluminum, steel, plastic, bamboo or hardwood, and even glass.

Answer: Tension while working

Your tension (the yarn, silly, not your shoulders) while working is important in determining the gauge you wind up with, but it is not used to describe the gauge. The gauge is listed in patterns to maintain uniformity of sizing, and goes something like this: "12 stitches and 15 rows to 4 inches, over stockinette stitch on size 9 needles."

Answer: Ringed

Other types of casting on include Cable, Knitting On, Backwards Loop, Crochet and dozens more.

Answer: True

The two basic stitches used in knitting are the knit stitch and the purl stitch. The purl stitch is essentialy the back of a knit stitch, so is worked almost exactly backwards of the way a knit stitch is worked. Variations of these two stitches make all the patterns in knitting.

Answer: Felting

You turned your favorite sweater into felt. This is a common technique these days. It requires 100% animal fiber yarn, and some fibers felt better than others. Felting - actually and more precisely called "fulling" since true felting is done with fibers before weaving or otherwise processing them into fabric - is accomplished by a combination of agitation and temperature shock. Swishing in hot water with lots of soap (soap actually helps agitate the fabric) then dunking into cold water, then back in the hot for more swishing, and you'll wind up with felt.

Answer: Queen Elizabeth I

Silk and wool knitted hose had been gaining in popularity amongst the upper class of England when Queen Elizabeth I ascended the throne. By 1600 England was the world leader in knitted stocking exports, largely due to the Queen's influence in fashion and new metalsmithing techniques which made steel knitting needles widely available to the lower classes.

Answer: It was considered more ladylike

The English method was also called "drawing room position" and was taught during the Victorian era as a more attractive way for upper class ladies to knit. Until this time most knitting was utilitarian, but as it became a popular and proper past time among upper class women, a more dignified posture was adopted. Lower class knitters still used the faster and more efficient "continental" method.

Answer: The American Red Cross

"Knit your bit" appeared on a famous poster depicting a pair of knitted socks in progress and the line, "Our boys need sox!" Special patterns were designed for uniform garments, and required olive drab or navy blue yarn. The patterns are still available at the American Red Cross Museum website, and in 2004 a new "Knit your bit" kit was released to commemorate the dedication of the National World War II Monument in Washington DC.