knitting

From Middle English knyttynge; equivalent to knit +‎ -ing.

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɪtɪŋ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪtɪŋ

knitting

1. present participle and gerund of knit

knitting (countable and uncountable, plural knittings)

1. The action of the verb to knit; the process of producing knitted material.

   I find knitting very relaxing.

2. Material that has been, or is being knitted.

   She put down her knitting and went to answer the phone.

   • 1955 December, “Notes and News: Women Delay Railway Demolition”, in Railway Magazine, page 878:

     At Kiwi, 40 miles from Nelson [New Zealand], eight women installed themselves in the goods shed, taking with them their knitting, and a supply of food and magazines. The demolition crew was unable to pull the building down without injuring them.

3. (rail transport, informal, UK) overhead electrification wires, OHLE
   • 2002 April 26, David Stevenson, “Re: Diesel vs Electric”, in uk.railway‎^[1] (Usenet), retrieved 10 April 2018, message-ID <B8EF5604.1C7F1%[email protected]>:

     Fair point. Instead of tearing down the knitting and using diesel, tear down the knitting and use turbines.

   • 2007 October 19, "Capt. Deltic", “Re: GNER knitting down (again)”, in uk.railway‎^[2] (Usenet), retrieved 10 April 2018, message-ID <[email protected]>:

     It also helps, if: [...] the knitting is aligned with the track below, or rather vice versa, something else that went after 1996.

   • 2016 December 9, Andrew Clarke, “Re: Great Western Railway warns of slower journeys on new trains”, in uk.railway‎^[3] (Usenet), retrieved 10 April 2018, message-ID <[email protected]>:

     My suggestion would be to electrify the uphill bits only, in each direction, and to use diesel traction when coming down the other side. Massive savings on posts and knitting for a start.

knitting

1. alternative form of knyttynge