Where does Rib Knit come from?

Rib Knit comes from the United Kingdom, where it dates to the Middle Ages.

Plate No. 157fabric

Raised knit columns between recessed purl gutters.

First documented: Middle Ages
Origin: Europe, United Kingdom
Fiber: wool, cotton
Weave: alternating columns of knit and purl stitches
Family: knits

Plate No. 157 · fabric

Rib Knit

Rib knit is the stretchy structure of every cuff, collar, and waistband, made by alternating columns of knit and purl stitches so the knit columns stand proud and the purl columns recede. Because those columns pull together, the fabric contracts widthwise and springs back, giving rib its powerful crosswise stretch and recovery. Counted by the columns, a one-by-one rib alternates single stitches, a two-by-two rib pairs them for a bolder wale, and a whole garment knitted in rib hugs the body. It is less a named cloth than a fundamental way of knitting, as old as European hand knitting itself.

Illustration: a knitwear workshop, a circular knitting machine running ribbed cuffs and collars off cones of yarn, finished sweaters folded on a bench, a worker at a distance, soft industrial light — A knitwear workshop, a circular knitting machine running ribbed cuffs and collars off cones of yarn, finished sweaters folded on a bench, a worker at a distance, soft industrial light.

Named for

Named for its ribs, the raised vertical ridges the alternating columns form.

Common questions

What is Rib Knit made of?: Rib knit is the stretchy structure of every cuff, collar, and waistband, made by alternating columns of knit and purl stitches so the knit columns stand proud and the purl columns recede. It is traditionally made of wool or cotton.
Where does Rib Knit come from?: Rib Knit comes from the United Kingdom, where it dates to the Middle Ages.
What is Rib Knit named after?: Named for its ribs, the raised vertical ridges the alternating columns form.