>Earlier pieces having a knitted or crocheted appearance have been shown to be made with other techniques, such as NÃ¥lebinding, a technique of making fabric by creating multiple loops with a single needle and thread, much like sewing.[4] Some artefacts have a structure so similar to knitting, for example, 3rd-5th century CE Romano-Egyptian toe-socks, that it is thought the "Coptic stitch" of nalbinding is the forerunner to knitting.
To doubt that knitting existed in Roman Times is preposterous. Thats like saying they could not weave baskets. Instead your incredible hypothesis lends credence to recent studies by internet sleuths that indicate history as we are taught may have an extra 1000 years added simply because dates have been mistranslated or misconstrued to read a 1 (one) where there is indeed an I or J symbol, denoting years since the Christ; IOW that that 1999 is actually J999.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_knitting
>Earlier pieces having a knitted or crocheted appearance have been shown to be made with other techniques, such as NÃ¥lebinding, a technique of making fabric by creating multiple loops with a single needle and thread, much like sewing.[4] Some artefacts have a structure so similar to knitting, for example, 3rd-5th century CE Romano-Egyptian toe-socks, that it is thought the "Coptic stitch" of nalbinding is the forerunner to knitting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NÃ¥lebinding
The lack of signs of wear is a bigger problem for this hypothesis IMHO