KNITTING GETS A BUM RAP
Think that only grandmothers knit? You’re wrong on two counts. First, I belong to knitting groups whose members include many twenty- and thirty-somethings. Second, those grandmothers in my groups don’t call themselves “grandmother.” They’re Mimi, Lala, and Grammi with an i, a whole new generation of with-it women who happen to have children who have children.
Knitting has changed right along with the women who do it. Those of you who’ve read Family Tree will already know this. Yarns today are exquisitely hand-dyed, needles are hi-tech, and patterns include stitch variations that would have shocked my grandmother right along with the Excel program generating them.
So why do people look down their noses at knitters? Is it zenophobia? Misogyny? Needle envy?
I do what I can to change the image. When I travel, I knit. I sit in airports wearing classy business attire – and I look pretty good, if I don’t say so myself – and I knit. Men occasionally ask how I got my needles through security. Flight attendants occasionally ask about the yarn I’m using (more intelligent questions, here). I am definitely noticed.
What kinds of things do I knit? At any given time, I have four of five working projects. I am currently (a) finishing a sweater for my youngest granddaughter, (b) working on a (sleeveless) sweater for me, (c) knitting a pair of gloves, (d) doing blocks for an afghan, and (e) making a wrap. The sweater for me is pure silk and includes ribbing with a twisted stitch that gives a beaded effect. The gloves are of fine-guage merino, hand-dyed, and knit with a picot edging around the long cuffs. The afghan blocks are done with a technique called mosaic knitting, a different pattern each month. And the wrap is from a pattern inspired by one of DKNY’s signature sweaters.
Very different stuff. I may not live long enough to see the image change, but some of you will. One thing’s for sure. If the cost of gas keeps climbing, self-starting hobbies like knitting will look better and better.
Comments
I think that knitting is definitely undergoing a metamorphosis. I started to learn earlier this year, and have become totally addicted. (I'm mid-30s). I wish I'd taken it up years ago! Since then I have been "hanging out" in yarn stores a lot, and I see teenagers eagerly poring over pattern books and choosing colourful yarns. I have heard friends describing the activity as "therapeutic". And it seems to be fairly fashionable to wear a hand-knitted garment again. I have gone from knitting basic scarves and squares for blankets, to now knitting jumpers for my little children. I think the image is already changing.
Posted by: Melissa | July 12, 2008 10:17 PM
It's funny, my mom has crocheted since I was very young. She tried to teach me when I was about 9 or 10, but I just couldn't get it. Then when I was 11 I spent a summer at the YMCA and they taught the girls how to knit (I know, it's sexist, but it was the 70s). Then I my mom showed me again how to crochet and this time I got it. Over time, I forgot how to knit! But I have crocheted ever since. People who have never worked with yarn are amazed at the things I create, especially when I've created an original pattern with nothing more than graph paper and a pen. When I had a complicated pregnancy and was on strict bedrest, I crocheted an afghan that was 63 12-inch squares, each of a different pattern, so I learned many new stitches. I even made two extra columns and two extra rows to make it bigger because my husband was very tall. Now my daughter calls that her heirloom, because I made it while pregnant with her. The book actually is worth 64 patterns, because there are extra instructions on how to turn each square into a fullsize afghan. Nowadays I have arthritis in my hands and I can no longer crochet for hours like I used to. I miss it. But maybe I'll try that 63 square afghan again, one square at a time. :) People are so appreciative when you make them something - they know a lot of love went into it. Even my husband treasures the afghan I made for him when we first married - he won't let anyone else use it, not even the cat. So long live knitting and crochet!
Posted by: Lisa Humphrey | August 13, 2008 03:01 PM