Stitchin' with style
Sunday, May 28, 2006 1:28 AM PDT
| |
| julie engel | argus observer
Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts employees Angela Hoskins (left) and Amanda Flores work on knitting projects during a break from work. Both women said they are addicted to knitting and believe the craft has moved beyond ‘old lady' status. |
Julie Engel
Argus Observer
Ontario
Knitting is not just an activity for old women in rocking chairs anymore.
A common perception of many is that older women are the only ones who knit.
Just ask Amanda Flores. As her hands furiously work the needles when making a new purse, she said her brother teases her, asking “How old are you, like 98?”
Flores is part of a group of women who work at Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts in Ontario addicted to knitting. The hobby is a way for the group to come together to vent frustrations and talk about life. It is easy to knit and talk at the same time, she said.
People think knitting is for old people, Jo-Ann employee Angela Hoskins said, something grandmas do.
“We get made fun of - people say, ‘maybe you can knit me something, and how old are you?'” Hoskins said.
Flores, 21, and Hoskins, 34, are far from grandma status.
The knitting group idea is not a new one, but it is new to this area. Courtney Coleman, education coordinator at JoAnn Fabrics, said a “Knit Klinik” is in the works for seasoned stitchers and newbies alike. The group will be a brainstorming session, she said, and a way for people in the community to come together with a common goal.
Knitting then
Historians have not been able to pinpoint exactly when civilization began weaving yarn into clothing. Traces of cotton socks and knitted fragments date back to A.D. 1200 to 1500 in Egypt. England became the wool producing country in Europe for the 13th century, and knitting was the preferred method in making socks and women's stockings.
Fishermen are believed, by some historians, to have invented the craft while making nets. Fishing villages had their own patterns in knitted sweaters, and Jo-Ann Fabrics employee Christine Foster said those patterns were used to identify bodies that had washed up on shore.
The dense weave of the yarn on those sweaters made them virtually wind and water proof.
The craft was also a source of income for many women, and Foster said many women through history made extra money knitting socks. In the Victorian period, knitting became a social event, much like it has become today.
During the two World Wars, women were encouraged to knit socks for the troops. This was true especially through World War I, where troops frequently experienced a lack of socks, undershirts and washcloths. In World War II, millions of knitted pieces were produced, with American Red Cross posters encouraging people to keep knitting. The Red Cross even provided a free kit with yarn, a military sock pattern and needles to keep the garments coming.
Knit fashions came alive in the 1950s and 1960s, but died out during the 70s and 80s. Clothes started to use synthetic fibers, and through those eras it was less expensive to buy clothes than make them.
Those times have changed. (Information from this section found in“The Cool Girl's Guide to Knitting” by Nicki Trench.)
Knitting now
Knit accessories are back in fashion, but now consumers will pay a hefty price tag for those items. It may not be easier, but Flores said her addiction to knitting is fueled by the inexpensive method of making purses. A nice ball of yarn may be anywhere from $5 to $8, but a knit purse in a store can be anywhere from $20 to $50.
“I have a purse with every outfit,” Flores said.
Knit accessories do not stop at handbags. From iPod and cell phone holders to belts and shawls, knitting has moved into the 21st century. Patterns can also be found for pop can cozies. Coleman said she has knitted skirts in the past, and looks forward to making a pair of hot pants. Hoskins even made a cell phone cover from knit strips of fabric.
The possibilities now are endless.
The reason for that is the myriad of yarns available.
Fluorescent colors, “fun fur” and variegated colors are just the tip of the iceberg, with different yarn weight varieties to add to the mix.
Foster said when she was growing up, the worsted weight was the only one available in drab colors.
“I got interested because I can make instead of buy,” Flores said. “I know there's not another one out there.”
