Soon after placing yesterday’s post about the Chronology of loom knitting online my attention was called to a significant error in one of the points it made. Socks can be knitted on a peg loom both downward from the cuff and upward from the toe. The knitted tubes made in Egypt beginning around the 5th century CE and the fully shaped socks that began to appear there several centuries later can therefore all have been made either on a loom or with knitting needles.
This assessment remains subject to modification pending the identification of construction details, secondary structural attributes, and production mistakes that are specific to the respective techniques. The difference between cross-knit nalbinding and true knitting in early Egyptian practice was identified in that manner. Insight gained about needle knitting during that discussion should easily seed a similar comparison with loom knitting.
I’ve modified the initial wording of the preceding post accordingly but anyone with particular interest in the topic may wish to reread it.