You will hear part of a lecture about the history and present-day value of hand knitting.
First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
Today we're going to examine hand knitting, an important form of creative work.
Ancient knitted clothing has been discovered in many different countries, which shows that the craft has a long, worldwide history.
When knitting is mentioned, many of us visualise an elderly relative, perhaps a grandmother, sitting beside the fire and making clothes for the family.
That comfortable domestic picture can make the craft seem old-fashioned.
In fact, only a decade ago, people were predicting that knitting would disappear from ordinary life.
Humans had made their own clothes for centuries, but skills like this declined once industrial machinery took over, largely because they stopped being handed down within families.
That trend is now reversing.
Enrolment in knitting classes is growing in many countries as people look for proper instruction.
And sales of knitting equipment are rising too.
Why then learn to knit when machines can produce clothes so easily?
One reason is that the craft still offers practical advantages.
In the past, many people knitted because ready-made clothing was unaffordable, and it can still help anyone dealing with economic hardship.
A household with several children needing warm winter clothes may save a considerable amount.
Making the garments yourself can also be satisfying, even though the skills needed at the beginning are basic and the initial cost is very small.
For people today, however, the greater benefits concern well-being.
We may spend as much as nine hours a day online, so creating something with our hands can be particularly rewarding.
It provides a welcome release from the pressure of a fast, technology-driven life.
Let's now go back to the beginnings of the craft.
Nobody knows exactly when knitting started, although archaeological discoveries give us a good deal of evidence to consider.
One striking feature of the earliest clothing is that most pieces were round rather than flat.
Finds from 3rd and 4th century Egypt include socks and gloves made in a single piece with four or five needles, unlike many modern patterns that use only two.
The first needles were carved by hand from wood and other natural substances such as bone.
Modern versions, by contrast, are generally steel or plastic and produce the familiar clicking noise.
Early knitters used linen, hemp, cotton and wool for their yarn, and these fibres were often rough against the skin.
Later, the spinning wheel made it possible to create finer yarn in much larger quantities, helping wool become dominant, partly because of its warmth.
Since knitting was practised for many purposes across so many places, each region gradually developed its own style.
These visual differences allow researchers to connect fragments of knitted clothing with the wearer's home region or occupation.
As I mentioned earlier, people in poorer communities could earn extra money from knitting while carrying out other duties.
For centuries, men, women and children appear to have used every available moment – knitting while watching sheep, walking to market or travelling by boat.
So, let's turn now to consider…
That is the end of part four.
