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Original Ideas

A

Anonymous

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I remember reading somewhere that there have only ever been 6 or so original ideas, with all other ideas built upon these 'fundamentals'. I think they may have included square, circle and triangle but am not sure. Does anyone know what they are? Can anyone come up with an original idea that isn't built upon the fundamentals (once we find out what they are)? Or is this just a load of processed meat?
 
What about knitting? Whoever invented knitting out of loops was pretty original. Or is a loop one of the original ideas a la triangles and squares?
 
What about knitting? Whoever invented knitting out of loops was pretty original. Or is a loop one of the original ideas a la triangles and squares?

Interesting example ... Knitting provides a context for delving into the general notion of "originality" ...

Knitting is a relatively recent development, being known from artifacts dating back only as far as the 11th century CE. Knitting, in turn, apparently derived from the earlier nålebinding technique, which is known to date back at least as far as circa 6500 BC. Weaving dates back even farther. Woven items have been found dating back to circa 9000 - 10,000 BC in Peru, and there are imprints and other indirect evidence of woven items as far back as circa 27,000 BC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_knitting
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nålebinding
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaving#History

So ... Where's the point one could most properly call "original" in all this? Is there only one "original" point at which weaving was invented, since which there have been progressive developments involving some loops and eventually all-loops? Or does each innovation in technique represent an "original" point in and of itself?
 
Brilliant, thanks for such fascinating information! But darn it, now I have to follow up and learn more!

I've often wondered about weaving, and have come to believe that it may have been inspired by how leaves of grass can become loosely interconnected as they get stirred in a breeze. Or maybe from the way hair can get tangled.

Now I'm starting to wonder how far back felt goes . . .
a quick search led me here:
https://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fabrics-fibers/felt
"The origin of felt is unknown but is believed to date back to prehistoric times in Central Asia. Felt may have been discovered when wool, shed from wild sheep, was used to soften sleeping areas, and it formed a cohesive fabric, or when the wool on skins used for clothing became matted.

Felt is a good insulator. It is windproof and rain will run off it. It can be cut and will not fray because it has no yarns to unravel. Dense felt is remarkably strong and cannot be pierced by arrows. This property was appreciated by many warriors in the past, who used felt for lightweight shields and armor."
I had no idea it had such protective qualities.
 
Nålebinding
Amazing stuff!
And widespread!
"The oldest known samples of single-needle knitted clothing include the color-patterned sandal socks of the Coptic Christians of Egypt (4th century CE), and hats and shawls from the Paracas and Nazca cultures in Peru, dated between 300 BC and 300 AD."
 
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