Knitting technique has been recorded since the prehistoric times with using one needle and short pieces of fibre. The next documentation was found at the site of the old Syrian City of Dura Europos, which was sacked by the Persians in 256 AD which shows a hand knitted clothing done by two knitting needles. But the popular belief has it that William Lee, a clergyman in 16th-century Britain, was enamoured of a young lady who was always knitting. In his view, she was so busy knitting that she had no time for him, so in 1589 he invented a knitting machine.

Surely, judging that period of time we cannot say that that was a very qualitative piece of equipment to knit, but starting from that point we can observe a growing popularity of knitted articles of clothing which were affordable by rich people only at its first. But gradually knitted clothing was spreading worldwide and was reduced at its costs sufficiently.

The Industrial Revolution was the catalyst for getting cloth-making machines into factories and thus making it more or less affordable to common people. In 1864, William Cotton of Leicestershire, England, improved on Lee's original design and introduced the new engine to manufacturers. Later in the 19th century, people began to use power with the machines. Soon circular knitting machines appeared, able to knit in a tube ( turtleneck) shape.

Advancements in the 20th century allowed for new and different types of knitting machines, and speedier ones as well. Present-day machines have programmable computers and can produce almost any pattern from any type of fibre, including peculiar rib knit pattern which confidently enters present fashion trends becoming popular with the youth and grownups.