nostr:npub1zawddas33wwlfq3p0u35ah232aaw4cczs7fjxkk5r8ugm96h08gs67tdg8 The knitting industry switched from hand knitting (a family enterprise) to machine knitting (industry). That put many families out of work.

Stockings were switching from sewn to knitted. The knitted stockings caught on (they stretched and did not gather or wrinkle). Queen Elizabeth I rejected the knitting machine because it would put people out of work. The knitting machine moved to France. Later, it came back to England and thrived. People couldn't feed their children. Life got ugly.