There is a near-identical needlecraft older than knitting
Nålebinding (Danish for ”binding with a needle”) only uses one needle to create this fabric - which is almost indistinguishable from knitted fabric. This technique is like a hybrid of crochet and knitting, where the thread is pulled all the way through a loop, instead of having a working end in crochet. Because of this, the pieces need to be seamed together as a seamless piece of fabric.