Knitting is a craft that dates back at least to the 14th century in Europe and Egypt. Some people claim that it goes back much farther than that. For more information about the history, I'd suggest checking out Wikipedia's Knitting article.

The basic idea of knitting is to pull loops of yarn through the loops that you already have on the needle. Basic instructions on how to knit can be found here?. Assuming you're doing this on a pair of straight needles, you'll end up with a rectangle of garter-stitched fabric. Simple, stretchy, warm, useful... you could make a decent scarf this way with very little effort. But I bet you can do better.

Ready to take the challenge? Then pick up those needles and check out one of the patterns available here.