The Resurgence Of Knitting

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

February 15, 2011 at 11:00 AM

The Resurgence Of Knitting

In the age of high tech and ready-made, old-fashioned knitting is making a comeback via social media. We’ll ask why.

Home Arts Needlecraft

Knitting is as old as the hills and as new as the wifi, Blackberrry, do-your-yoga generation. Your grandma did, or does it. So – it turns out – does the hotshot next door.

With needles and yarn and the old clickety-clack of fingers flying, it is may be the humblest of clothing crafts. Its popularity has risen and fallen over generations depending, historians say, on national stress and the economy. (See imgages of knitting over the years.)

Right now it’s come back. A way for information workers to make something that feels real. To chill out. To feel back to the land. To make community.

- Tom Ashbrook

On Point visited the new generation of knitters at the the Chestnut Hill School outside Boston, Massachusettss. Hear what they had to say.

Guests:

Susan Strawn, professor of apparel design and merchandising at Dominican University, where she teaches courses on the history and culture of dress. She is author of “Knitting America: A Glorious Heritage from Warm Socks to High Art.”

Franklin Habit, he writes “The Panopticon,” currently one of the most popular knitting blogs. He is author of “It Itches: A Stash of Knitting Cartoons.” Started the “1,000 Knitters Project,” a long-term photography prospective to celebrate and preserve the portraiture of knitting.

Jenna Woginrich, sole owner, operator and blogger for Cold Antler Farm — an online community-supported sheep farm in Jackson, NY. She is a homestead blogger and web producer, who often writes for HuffingtonPost.com’s Green section and Mother Earth News.

Street Color, a self titled “yarn bomber,” or knitting street artist. She puts up her colorful, hand-spun pieces on parking meters, existing statues and street signs all over the Bay Area.

India

I’ve been knitting passionately and constantly for over 20 years and I could talk for a long time on all the reasons why I knit and what I love about knitting, but what I’d like to mention in particular is the GOOD that knitters do.

There’s all kinds of charity knitting—for preemies in hospitals, for cancer patients, wool helmet liners for our soldiers, hats and afghans for the homeless, and many others. Spurred on by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka the Yarn Harlot (best-selling author and knitblogger) knitters have raised over $1 million for Doctors without Borders.

Right now, there’s an ongoing campaign called Warm Hats Not Hot Heads, which is a knitters’ campaign to encourage civility in our political discourse. Started by knitbloggers Ellen Silva and Alison Hyde, the idea is to get as many knitters as possible, representing all points on the political spectrum, to knit hats and send them to our senators and representatives in Congress—the ones they agree with AND the ones they don’t agree with—as a way of urging them to stop the hateful and negative rhetoric and instead get down to the business of finding solutions to the many challenges facing the country.

There are many ways that handknitted hats are symbolic of good civil discourse. A hat, by offering warmth and protection against the cold, is a common good—and so is good government. A handknitted hat is soft but hardworking, just as we would like our representatives in Washington to use soft words but work hard together. And a hat is made up of many small and different individual stitches—knits, purls, maybe cables—it might encompass several different colors of yarn, and each knitter has his or her own particular style and method of knitting. But all these different parts cooperate and work together to create a warm hat, and that’s what we’d like our elected officials—and everyone else, for that matter—to do. We will encourage the recipients to donate their hats to homeless shelters or charities, so the warmth can be shared with those who need it.

If anyone would like more information about Warm Hats Not Hot Heads or to sign up to knit for a particular senator or representative, we’ve got groups on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Warm-Hats-Not-Hot-Heads/178784955490581) and Ravelry (a social networking site for knitters) and I encourage people to visit those sites for more information.
- Alison
  
  Beautifully stated, India, and the others, thank you. I personally rather hope my representatives hold onto their hats as a visual and tactile reminder both to them and to their peers of the message the hats are meant to convey. I want them to know that with each stitch I thanked them for their service to the public.
- Tina, RI
  
  India (Your wonderful name! Did the divine colors and fabrics of India attract you to the Art of Knitting?!!),
  
  Maybe YOU are the secret knitter whose loving kindness I describe on the site Tom called “Images of Knitting”!??!! If it’s not you specifically, it IS you in terms of how much your work means to patients, like me!
  - India
    
    Glad you like my name! I do love the colors and fabrics of India, so it’s no surprise that I love the colors and textures of knitting.
    
    I looked at your post under “Images of Knitting” and replied there. I do so hope that you are feeling better and getting better!
Belinda

I learned to knit because I was too cheap to buy ready made diaper soakers. Knitting has helped me recover from postpartum psychosis twice. The repetitive motion is a healthy compulsive behavior. The fibers and bamboo needles feel so good in my fingers. Now that I’ve recovered, I continue to knit for my family and myself.
Jess

One of the goals of a meditation practice is to bring you into a calm focus to quiet the noise of your mind. The nature of knitting is such that you need to pay attention to your work or else you’ll drop stitches or knit when you should have purled. Just like focusing on your breath during meditation, focusing on each stitch brings your attention to here and now. This is only one of the benefits of knitting. There’s value to the work of the hands that cannot be purchased in a big-box store for $1.98.
http://200shawlproject.blogspot.com Leah

Knitting has infinite possibility. It is a hobby. It is a lifestyle. It is a solid way to tell someone you love them ten thousand (stitches) times over. It is an art-form. It is both decadent and practical. It is simple. It is complex. It has the ability to both challenge and soothe.

And for me, it was also the physical therapy that let me feel my fingers for the first time after surgery induced nerve damage. It is the physical therapy that lets me continue to use that same hand now, after a broken wrist.

Knitting…. what’s not to love?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ellen-Silva/1278271818 Ellen Silva

Knitting is more than a hobby for many of us – it is a way of exercising our minds, meditating with color and fiber, and even making a statement on our current societal situations. Case in point – Warm Hats Not Hot Heads, a campaign by knitters across the country to connect with their Congresspeople and encourage civil discourse with those of differing opinions. We have commitments for hats for over 20% of Congress to be delivered with a request for civil political discourse and continue to grow. Check out the Warm Hats Not Hot Heads page on Facebook for more info, or contact me, one of the originators of this campaign.
Sallee E.

Delighted to see this as a topic, long overdue! The Warm Hats Not Hot Heads project truly offers a chance for knitters to express their sentiments to their congressional representatives in a constructive manner: The hats are donated to those needing warm headware and Congress sees that there are concerned citizens expecting them to cooperate to move government forward in positive ways!
Constance

I learned to knit 20 years ago. I had always admired hand-knits, but wasn’t particularly co-ordinated manually. Turns out that knitting, like everything else worth-while, takes time to master. You’ve got to be willing to be bad, in order to be good. At this point, I’m very good, courtesy of classes and lots of practice.

I take my knitting everywhere with me. It makes me not fret at having to wait. I’ve knitted sweaters, and socks, and scarves and fingerless gloves while watching my children learn Karate. By the time both girls were brown belts in Ishinruyu Karate, I’d knitted 5 or 6 top-down sweaters, 4 pairs of socks, and many, many scarves and gloves.

Other parents would tell me that they didn’t have the patience to knit. I wondered how they had the patience to watch their children and not knit. I can honestly say that I paid more attention to my kids sparring than the bored parents with idle hands, chatting with each other.

Cheers,

Constance
Jocelyn

I’m delighted to see that you’ll be doing this piece on knitters! I, too, am proudly knitting hats for Warm Hats Not Hot Heads, one of many many projects that knitters have successfully undertaken to raise awareness for important causes (in this case, the importance of maintaining civil discourse in the public arena). Knitting is all too often disregarded as silly or unimportant, but 53 million people knit in the U.S. and Canada alone! That’s a lot of people – two times the number of golfers in the U.S., for example (and you can bet no-one would be confused as to why you’d do a piece on golfers). I’m looking forward to hearing the segment.
Pingback: Tweets that mention The Resurgence of Knitting | WBUR and NPR - On Point with Tom Ashbrook -- Topsy.com
Terri

An extremely important facet of knitting that has developed over the past few years that did not exist in my grandmother’s day is the “community” of knitting. Similar to the quilting bee, we now have knitting circles that, for many, are their lifelines. Women come together to spend time knitting — it is no matter whether you are a beginner or experienced designer — where they share their lives and develop friendships, become involved in social causes and, in general, find their lives enriched. For me, aside from the meditative and creative aspects I derive from knitting, the ability to be a part of the community of women is paramount.
- Jess
  
  And it’s a worldwide community. I live in Tennessee, but was able to hook up with knitters in London and I was instantly made to feel at home. I’ve met so many people across the world because I knit and it all starts with a polite “what are you making?”
  - http://dydyknits.wordpress.com/ dydy
    
    Exactly! Thanks to the Internet! Five years ago I started an online knitting (& crochet) community for my fellow countrypeople (I’m an Indonesian, live in the US) from my computer here in the US to gather with knitters and crocheters thousands of miles away.
  - Jenni in Edmonton
    
    or: “Oooooooh, what is that fibre?/pattern?/stitch? Where did you find that colourway?/those needles?/the stitch markers?” And the knitter’s handshake: running your hand down a stranger’s sleeve, asking Did you make this?
    - Laura
      
      “The Knitter’s Handshake”!!! I love it. Now I have a word for what I do when I see a beautiful sweater. And I guess when I follow someone around a store to get a better look at the beautiful sweater they’re wearing, I can call it “knit stalking.”
    - Syoung4
      
      Is That what you call it?! Fabulous, I agree with Laura about the knit stalking though, I have been known to try for the sneaky camera shot, but, have had great success with the direct – “?Please may I take a shot of that detail on the sleeve – hem or whatever.
Alyson

I’m 33 and started knitting about 3 years ago because I wanted nice sweaters and socks. I have yet to complete either a sweater (although I did just complete the foliage vest) or a pair of socks for myself but I have knit quite a few things. I told myself when I started that I would only knit with natural fibers and I have done so quite successfully. The whole process is enjoyable- from finding the yarn or the project and then finding the opposite to go with it (project for the yarn or yarn for the project)to the creation of this amazing thing from string and a pair of sticks. It has gone along with a sort of all encompassing realization that I can create many of the things that society had taught me I need to buy from knitted dishcloths to homemade hot fudge. I’m probably going to have to start sewing next and making my own jewelry so I can have jeans that fit exactly how I want them to and the perfect accessories, as envisioned my be and not someone else’s idea of the perfect accessories.
- Syoung4
  
  I hope you go ahead a learn to sew, and create any of the other things you wish to play with, if you were local to me I would be glad to suggest myself as a teacher for some of those crafts. Good Luck!
Paula

I think in this fast-paced age of multi-tasking, knitting is something that’s very calming and soothing. You definitely can’t multi-task when knitting, and you can’t really think about anything else, either. Knitting demands all of your attention, and forces you to focus on one thing, so it’s very centering.

And then when you’re done, you have a large sweater that your husband won’t wear because he says it make him feel like a serf!
Letsgo

The early 70s was low tide for knitting and other hand crafts. The US Bicentennial turned the flow with a new appreciation for our heritage. Beginning with quilting and spreading to knitting, crochet, sewing and other hand crafts, it changed market perceptions that hand made was homely. When Vogue Knitting magazine relaunched in 1982, they predicted that knitting would soon be vogue again…. it took nearly 20 years for that to really happen!

The market offers infinitely more interesting tools and materials now, pleasing everyone….whether knitting for pleasure, product, quality or sanity!
http://twinset.us Jan

To knit is a powerful and empowering act. In an age where we deal so frequently with the transient and the intangible, knitting produces items of substance meant to be useful, to bring warmth, to show we care. When we knit we focus on the moment, we connect with our past and we contribute to the future. I first learned to knit as a child, but picked it up again as an adult where it has been very meaningful to me. I’ve knit hats to be worn by friends undergoing chemotherapy. I’ve felt connected to my sister while knitting with yarn she provided while assigned to duty in Baghdad as part of the Multi-National Force-Iraq. I’ve created items for donation to charities serving our homeless, helping premature babies survive and our wounded warriors. I’ve made the closest of friends and found community in the strangest of places — to include the internet at social network sites like Ravelry and through Twitter. I’m so glad you’re giving a broader audience a view of what we see in knitting. I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Zeno

My mother could knit and crochet items of apparel with a topology that could befuddle geo-spacial physicists, but alas that skill has waned with her age. Some of her creations should have been in museums and not worn by her children.
- Kathy
  
  I am thrilled to see a resurgence in knitting. I am a novice knitter, but I really want to believe that the needle arts of any kind continue to be an importance part of this high tech world. My 24-year-old daughter knits better than I ever hoped to, and I will be sure she learns as much as I can share about sewing, kniting, quilting, so she can pass on to her next generation.
marysue

I started knitting in 1968. I was pregnant and taught myself from a book, since I wanted to make a baby sweater. I had never known a knitter in my life.

I have heard SO MANY times that there is a knitting resurgence. It always seems odd, as I know so many knitters.

I live in Cambridge. We have lost our best knitting shop in the last couple of years. There was competition from 3 new area knitting shops. Unfortunately two others closed down. The one left is not so great, or friendly either. I get supplies when I visit in Northampton MA or Bath Maine.

And finally, interesting facts. Knitting started in the Arab world. Spread to Europe by the 1500′s. When King Henry VIII died he, the wealthy man that he was, had one pair of knitted stockings in his possession.
Gary

The urban progressives that think of themselves as “forward free-thinkers” are actually “backward followers.” Regress to knitting. Regress to small farms. Regress to walkable neighborhoods. Regress to having chickens in your backyard. Regress to not using pesticides. Regress to a “sense of neighborhood.” Regress to using bicycles as primary mode of transportation. Regress to not bathing regularly. Regress to small homes. Above all, dress, think, and engage in hobbies that all of your other peers like. Do not associate with anyone that will point out your bullshit. March backwards, radicals. Keep Portland white!
- Victoria
  
  Thanks for stereotyping us knitters, Gary!! One of the amazing things about the “resurgence” of knitting is that there is no stereotypical knitter. Knitters include people from all walks of life, all ages, all socio-demographic groups, and both genders. There are knitters who stick with rectangular objects, as I did for a long time, and knitters who make garments with intricate color and stitch patterns, and everything in between!! Generally, knitters are friendly and creative people.
- TrudyBrown
  
  It isn’t regressive if this is what I’ve always done–except for the irregular bathing. No need to listen to a show if it bothers you this much. Why pick on knitters?
- Johanna
  
  I keep telling you that you should be on radio, am, that is JK
- Syoung4
  
  How totally confused you sound – it almost seems you have no idea what is happening in the world, not just the world of knitting. Is your comment meant to be hateful? – as so many of the things you list are good for us, small homes, bikes, farms and chickens in the back yard, yes, a couple are a bit of a stinker (pun intended). Just because an idea is new it isn’t for everyone and the effect of too much is not something we can all handle – think price of heating a large house while we suffer the consequences of not keeping our manufacturing in this country. I was born in the UK and say that for my birth home and USA where I now live. Mass offshore production has done wonders for certain countries (China) and killed off areas in both of the others. As for the bullshit comment who do you associate with?
Samantha

The Praise of the Needle

To all dispersed sorts of ARTS and TRADES,

I writ the needles prayse (that never fades)

So long as children shall be got or borne,

So long as garments shall be made or worne,

So long as Hemp or flax or Sheep shall bear

their linnen woollen fleeces yeare by yeare:

So long as Silk-wormes, with exhausted spoile,

Of their own Entrailes for man’s gaine shall toyle:

yea till the world be quite dissolv’d and past;

So long at least, the Needles use shall last.

JOHN TAYLOR, London 1640
- Jeanette
  
  Thanks, Samantha, for that delightful poem.
Nay

I am 37 and taught myself to knit in 2009 while I was unemployed in order to keep busy and ward off anxiety. It worked! And I can thankfully say that I’m now employed and *still* knitting. Mom, I’ll have your scarf finished soon, I promise!
http://twitter.com/GuidoS Guido Stein

I think that there is a lot of great things that have come about with the online knitting community. In a lot of ways I feel the online community has taken the lead in social media and entrepreneurship. Because the community is so connected online it has aloud for new and interesting business models. This is best seen in some of the links I have posted below.

Social Networks:
http://www.ravelry.com/
http://www.craftster.org/

Self publishers:
http://anniemodesitt.com/books/
http://www.cooperativepress.com/

online magazines:
http://www.knitty.com/
http://twistcollective.com/

Issues with knitting business and other businesses:
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2007/01/11/freakin_muggles.html
http://twitter.com/GuidoS Guido Stein

I think that there is a lot of great things that have come about with the online knitting community. In a lot of ways I feel the online community has taken the lead in social media and entrepreneurship. Because the community is so connected online it has aloud for new and interesting business models. This is best seen in some of the links I have posted below.

Social Networks:
http://www.ravelry.com/
http://www.craftster.org/

Self publishers:
http://anniemodesitt.com/books/
http://www.cooperativepress.com/

online magazines:
http://www.knitty.com/
http://twistcollective.com/

Issues with knitting business and other businesses:
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2007/01/11/freakin_muggles.html
Tyzilch

The lady knitting behind the wheel is similar to drivers doing many things behind the wheel nowadays [texting, other]
- JOD
  
  What’s the point of bringing that up? All drivers (whether they choose to be responsible or not) know better than to eat, text, put on makeup, etc. while driving. That said, I’ve never seen anyone knitting while driving.
wobit

I’m a 4th year medical student, soon to enter residency in Emergency Medicine. I rarely go anywhere without a small WIP (work in progress) in my bag, ready to whip it out and work a few rows while in a lunchtime lecture, or waiting for the bus. Knitting improves my hand strength and dexterity for performing procedures on patients. Long stretches of plain stockinette keep my hands busy and prevent my mind from wandering in lectures when many of my classmates are asleep or posting on Facebook, and projects made to custom fit with complicated shaping challenge my spatial reasoning and mathematics.

Most days of the week I log in to Ravelry.com, which provides not only lovely patterns and technical advice, but also has a robust forum, helping to organize real-life knitting circles and advertise fiber arts events. I also connect with other medical students there in the Ravelry group “Physicians Who Knit” and find it a valuable peer group for emotional and philosophical challenges in my career, a really wonderful support.

Knitting related social media (Ravelry) provides a portable community that works around my insane school schedule, which I can take with me when I move on to residency. The combination of the aesthetically pleasing, soothing pastime of knitting, and the readily available social network has been a deep pleasure for me over the past years. That adorable baby sweaters are produced is a nice side effect.
- Melissa Moore
  
  I’m a lawyer, and my mother, always around female doctors (although not one herself) thought I’d be able to knit in law school classes the way medical school students do. Well…. the socratic method of teaching law is a little different than the lecture method of teaching medicine. But knitting has always been a constant companion to me, and I find myself knitting a few rows during the day. Today, for example, I knit while brain storming with a friend on what, how, and when to attack a case she’s defending. It keep me focused on her conversation because my hands were busy working so I couldn’t surf the net while trying to help her get ideas.
  - Critch4866
    
    I am also a lawyer – corporate and securities. I used to pace the room for what felt like miles while I would be on conference calls with clients. Movement often helps with mental focus. Now I knit.
- Jeanette
  
  Good luck to you, Wobit. My son (the proud wearer of a brooklyntweed Cobblestone sweater knit by his adoring mom) is just finishing a 5-year residency in general surgery–so I know the kinds of pressures you’re under.
  As knitting goddess Elizabeth Zimmermann would say, “Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises.”
http://www.facebook.com/modeknit Annie Modesitt

Knitting allows us to find our own internal ‘rhythm’ that we miss in modern life, and through the internet connects us to other like-minded folk around the world.

For 10 years knitting – the teaching of it, writing about it and designing hand knit garments – has paid my mortgage. I’m grateful to knitting.

I want to create more knitters, so I offer a FREE how to knit class if anyone is interested. It’s online, has good videos and handouts, and can allow anyone to discover if this is something they love within a few hours. All you need is yarn and needles. Go to this URL to register – it’s free!

http://www.onlineknittingclasses.com

Thanks for letting me post this, I hope some new knitters are ‘born’ because of this segment!

Best,
Annie Modesitt
Knit Designer / Craft Writer
- Critch4866
  
  Thank-you so much for pointing out that there is no WRONG way to knit. I was taught by my Russian grandmother 40 + years ago and my method resembles a form of English – but not quite. For years I was embarassed to knit in public or any group because every other knitter felt the need to “correct” me. But muscle memory doesn’t change easily and the “right” way was never quite as successful as the “wrong” way.
  
  I have found that the new popularity in knitting as lightened everying up a bit. Knitters aren’t so rigid. And non-knitters are curious. Now the stares I get are in a good way!
  - Valyac
    
    The legacy that your grandmother left you was a gift of love — the stares you get *should* be in a good way! You have a wonderful opportunity to show people, if they are that interested, something new and different. I think it sounds amazing, and wish I was one of those people on the street, so I could see it!
    
    I agree — there is no wrong way to knit.
CluckCluck

Doesn’t Jenna live in New York now? Not Vermont?
http://onpoint.wbur.org/about-on-point/sam-gale-rosen Sam Gale Rosen

Knitting has been — at least traditionally — very female-dominated, right? I’m curious, do members of the knitting community see that changing at all with the latest resurgence of interest? Any male knitting zealots out there?
- http://www.facebook.com/modeknit Annie Modesitt
  
  There are DEFINITELY more women than men knitting, but the number of male knitters grows ever year.
  
  One of the more visible male knitters will be on the show (Franklin Habit) and another (Guido Stein) has already posted in this forum. That’s the beauty of knitting – everyone is welcome!
  - http://twitter.com/GuidoS Guido Stein
    
    I always find the gender issue to be kinda funny… Originally knitting was male dominated, then it became female dominated. Today, it doesn’t matter, if you love yarn and making things.. your in…
- Lisa Press
  
  Sam, Also take a look at the blogs and patterns of Jared Flood and Stephen West. They are both tremendous contributors to the knitting community.
- Liz
  
  I’m a knitter/crocheter and I asked my non-crafty, golfing husband this question. He says that you won’t find that many men who are interested in the end product — i.e., garments, home decor, blankets… Not sure I concur in that it is the process rather than the product that is so engaging, and it’s not that different then tinkering with cars used to be, before cars became computers on wheels! Anyway, that’s one perspective.
JR

It’s a shame that a Boston area radio station is having a show on knitting, and neither Norah Gaughan nor Jessica and Casey Forbes are featured….
- MA Knitter
  
  As a Massachusetts knitter I have to say, my flabber was gasted to not hear from Jess & Casey Forbes, the creators of the 1 million strong Ravelry, on this Boston produced NPR piece!
  
  How could that have happened?
  - JR
    
    On Point has done a half-assed job at what could have been a great show. The knitting resurgence has been growing over the past 5-10 years, driven by two things – Ravelry and innovative designers. Casey and Jess, who built Ravelry, and Norah Gaughan, who’s one of the most innovative and influential designers in the world of knitwear, could all have taken a cab to WBUR’s studios. Yet none of them appeared on the show! How did ‘BUR do a show on knitting and not include some of the most coolest knitting folks in the world, who work right there in their backyard? Sheesh!
    - Wjw1000
      
      WOW! Thanks for the insights on the MASSACHUSETTS major contributions to our knitting craft… I am prouder than proud.
Mjbarr

I am male and I knit. It has alwys fascinated me what you can do with a line and a couple of pointed sticks.

And yes there have been times I’ve been treated in yarn shops like a woman in an auto parts parts store.
Sarah

Knitting in the age we’re in is so great because there’s so many facets: knitting for charity, knitting for gifts; knitting is something that allows you to do something productive while doing something else (watching tv, commuting) but also is social–you can knit while you have a conversation. I appreciate Ravelry and other free online patterns, as a way to save paper and to connect with pattern designers I might not have found otherwise.

As a 27-year old, I still get gruff from peers about doing something so old-fashioned (same with my NPR listening), but I’ve also had many requests from people who’d like to learn, and a lot of compliments on items I’ve made for myself and for others.
Mary in Laingsburg, Michigan

OH YEAH! That was me at the MSU vs UM women’s basketball game last Sunday. A full house of fans, and there I was knitting a sock before the game and at halftime. Can’t sit still!!!!!
Claire

I started knitting a while back. Over the past two years work for me has been sparse and I’ve found that knitting has given me a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day. A satisfaction that I typically received from a work project. I have been able to use problem solving skills that, recently, were only focused what I’ve been doing wrong while looking for a job.

Plus, I knew this holiday season, with no job, I would be depressed and easily tempted by emotional eating, as long as I kept knitting gifts, I didn’t shove food in to my mouth while watching “White Christmas.”
Stickknits

I totally LOVE that Annie Modisett is commenting on here!
- Stickknits
  
  Oh, sorry for spelling your name wrong!
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZXTDCQIPF7ZE7R4R7VRDDWD4Y4 Ruth
  
  Annie’s web site helped me to find a knitting style which is much more natural and comfortable for me. I was also glad to see her post.
ambling

There is a Community Afghan Group that will meet on Sunday, February 20th at 1:00 p.m.in the St. Mary of the Assumption school cafeteria in Brookline (Harvard Ave/Brookline Village area). The group meets monthly.

This group started 3 years ago, asking people to just knit or crochet one square to be assembled into a Community Afghan…now it’s hundreds of afghans latter. Afghans in various sizes have gone to the sick/young and old, shut-in, nursing home residents, and many to our VA Hospitals.

Come and join us!
Melissa Moore

Hi Tom! I’m so excited that you’re doing a show on knitting! My mother taught me to knit before I started law school. My mother had always worked for doctors, and all female doctors she knew knitted during medical lectures. Fast forward to law school, I realized you can’t knit in law school classes! But I taught friends and over the years have developed a group of friends around my knitting. Thank you so much for the show!
Peggy Medema

I have crocheted for 35+ years but I have never been able to knit. I’ve tried many times to teach myself and I JUST CAN’T GET IT!! It’s on my bucket list, though, and I’ll keep at it until I do!
- http://www.facebook.com/modeknit Annie Modesitt
  
  Hey Peggy,
  
  If you want, please give this free online class a try and see if the videos don’t help a bit
  
  http://www.onlineknittingclasses.com
- Kim Stubbs
  
  I was the same way until I learned to knit Continental style. This method is more like crochet in that you hold the yarn in your left hand. It was much easier for me this way.
  
  You can find help videos on learning this method in many places including:
  
  http://www.knittinghelp.com
- Jones_ro
  
  I’m with the others here–I was a long time crocheter, and until I changed to Continental style (again, with Knittinghelp.com) I was not successful. Now I’m a good knitter with lots of finished objects on Ravelry. Keep at it!
Peg

Hello,

I have several wool sweaters that have moth holes and other damage. Is there a group who might like them so they can be unraveled and knit into something else? I’d be happy to mail them.
Beverly

TOM,

Will Susan Strawn be doing a book tour? If so, will she be in the Dallas area?

Thank you.
Beverly

TOM,

Will Susan Strawn be doing a book tour? If so, will she be in the Dallas area?

Thank you.
Beverly

TOM,

Will Susan Strawn be doing a book tour? If so, will she be in the Dallas area?

Thank you.
Joannewallace

Not only do people knit for soldiers but also there is a widespread prayer shawl ministry that combines the meditation of knitting a simple stitch while knitting and praying for the sick or elderly that you are giving the shawl to. It is a very spiritual dimension to knitting.
Marty

Tom it is not the cost of Knitting as opposed to buying, it is also entertainment and compared to going out is cheaper and you have something other than a hangover to show for it.
Marty

Tom it is not the cost of Knitting as opposed to buying, it is also entertainment and compared to going out is cheaper and you have something other than a hangover to show for it.
Elizabeth

I began knitting around 3 years ago and quickly discovered Ravelry. If not for this amazing online community, along with the many, many knitting bloggers out there, I think I’d still be knitting, but not nearly as much. And I doubt I’d be having so much fun. There are amazing resources and a lovely feeling of community online, for which I am so grateful.
Karen Himmer

Go to WalMart???? You are missing the point. My mother, my knitting mentor, told everyone when she gave them a knitted gift, “I thought about you every stitch.” You can’t buy that at WalMart!!!!!
Jen Benoit

Don’t forget about the children! A pillar of Waldorf education, in particular, knitting exercises mobility and dexterity in the fine motor muscles of the hands, stimulating cellular development in the brain, thus strengthening the physical foundation of thinking. When children set about to knit, needles are held in both hands, each assigned to its respective activity. Laterality is established as well as eye’s control over the hand. Knitting for young children can evoke an uncomprable attentiveness to numbers, aesthetics, and rhythm. This training in concentration helps to support their problem-solving capacities in later years by following a line of thought, just like they have followed the line of yarn through its interwoven knitted knots. Children are very proud of their knitted work, and with that pride comes practical lessons as well: “getting it right”, “correcting your mistakes”, and “patience”.
- Johanna
  
  Jen, it is me, Johanna, our mutual friend is Anneliese. Your post is just what I am after for my research. (Read my post) I will be in touch but would love to hear from you!
  - Jen Benoit
    
    Hi, Johanna,
    I just read your post. What a great project! Contact me anytime at jen.benoit@comcast.net, and I can share with you the article I was referencing in my comment. Hope you are well, and please get in touch! Hugs, Jen
http://www.LisaCruse.com Lcruse

And let’s praise the merits of a most versatile, sustainable, natural product–wool.
I have knitted since a mere child and in recent years fulling and felting offered me a most wonderful creative outlet, brought me friends to cherish, a source of income and helped me to realize my dreams through being published and traveling, meeting more friends to cherish and teaching workshops to further the fiber cause.
Combine wearable art with social media (Ravelry.com) and a once isolated craft becomes a validating life force for this tactile-starved culture. Knitting is approaching a new glory, long overdue!
Shirley Weedman

I joined a group at a new church that I started going to a couple years ago to get to know the people. Last month I was named the new director of the group. The group’s name is Willing Hearts & Hands it was founder by Norma Luke of Glasgow, KY. Nine years ago because other charities thought she was too old to help them, so she started her own group. We knit & crochet to provide warmth and comfort for victims of violence. B.R.A.S.S. (Barren River Area Safe Space) shelter is for our 10 county area in southern KY for battered women and children and we also help Crossroads Pregnancy Center here in Barren county. We are a very small group looking for new members and we are very willing to teach those interested in learning to knit or crochet. Our library here in Glasgow has classes that teaches both also. Our group also collect other needs of the victims at B.R.A.S.S. bedding & bath supplies, stuffed animals for the holidays, we send cups and candies for the holidays too like Valentines & others the let the people in the shelter know that someone does care.
We would like to let the other churches know that the group is here and would like to invite other churches members to join our group.

Does anyone know how to get donations for the yarn companies directly to help in this cause?

Shirley Weedman 270-678-7240
- Shirley Weedman
  
  typo~ that should be from the yarn companies
- Shirley
  
  email for our group sweed88@yahoo.com
Stitchy McYarnpants

Knitters have always been early adopters in terms on social media. It started with Usenet and newsgroups, and knitting blogs make up a huge part of the blogging community. Now Ravelry is one million strong.

Whenever a new type of online socializing is happening, whether it’s Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, or new toys like Pinterest, you can bet the knitters were on board at the beginning.

I love the blend of old-timey handmade and new-fangled technology. It takes a lot of people off guard and I spend a lot of time explaining how huge and tech savvy the knitting and crochet community is. We have industry events, conventions and don’t underestimate the power of a good sheep and wool festival.

Knitting even helped me get into the publishing industry and now I have two books under my belt. There’s still some stigma attached to them being “just knitting books”, but there’s also a burgeoning market for writers, designers, yarn dyers, tool makers, and those who make accessories for knitters. And entirely new set of careers has been created, and we have yarn to thank for it. Hooray for yarn!
lilbluebird

my knitting group on Monday nights is something I just don’t miss. Those ladies keep me busy and grounded while my husband is deployed. They are a wonderful support for a woman who is constantly worrying about her husband while he is over seas. I owe the ladies at Unwind BIG for the peaceful 4 hours they give me each week.
- Tyra Wahl
  
  Sorry forgot my name ~Tyra Wahl Bluffton, SC
Smalltownknitguy

I can’t wait to hear this broadcast, as knitting has become my 2nd love, 2nd job, and first thing to do when I am winding down at the end of the day! I lead local Knit and Crochet group of about 15 members and am planning a knitting retreat for fiber enthusiasts. In today’s economy I think many are looking for ways to pass the time that don’t involve lots of money. Knitting is entertaining and, yes though it costs money to start a project, you get hours of enjoyment working on whatever you decide to make.
Rschrager

Knitting is also a way for anyone to be a fashion designer. All it takes is some third grade math skills, and dedication. You choose your own colors, create your own textile, and presto!
Patricia Fina Weaver

Knitting provides the individual a sense of accomplishment, from analysizing complex mathmetical problems to figuring out how to coax a string into a statement of your unique view of the world when the object is completed. It connects us to nature (when using natural fibers) at a time in history when technology can be isolating. The community of knitters on Ravelry connects us to others with similar interests and promotes new and creative ways to share our knitting. An object created by your own hands and given as a gift tells a deeply personal story of caring.

The peace obtained by knitting can transend and be carried outside your home into the world, whether it be social activism on a large scale or in your interpersonal relationships. You are contibuting more than just a finished product, you are making a statement about your values about peace and harmony.
Jnetv

I have knitted since my 20′s, a couple decades ago – to help with arthritis, piano, guitar. My teen boys & tween daughter enjoy the process too. We are high tech suburban/city folk.
Jnetv

I have knitted since my 20′s, a couple decades ago – to help with arthritis, piano, guitar. My teen boys & tween daughter enjoy the process too. We are high tech suburban/city folk.
Bpetrovay13

I learned knitting in my 20s, but picked it up again when I retired. Ravelry, and all the on-line knitting groups just helped my addiction for yarn and knitting. Knitting is very relaxing even though I have to pay attention to my work. My most favorite is lace knitting, but I love to knit sweaters, pullovers etc.
Knitting is my passion, yarn is my obsession.
Pingback: The Praise of the Needle « Get Your Woollies On!
http://www.facebook.com/WonderMike Michael Wade

Thank you so much for this show!!

Knitting, spinning, teaching & podcasting about these fibery pursuits consumes all my free time. I love the practicality, the creativity & the connection that it makes for me. It all started with seeing a friend knit a pair sock on double pointed needles, but then snowballed into this all-consuming obsession.

I do a podcast called Fiber Beat, which I hope sounds like an NPR program and adds some oral history and cultural snapshots of the knitting, spinning, weaving, etc. communities.

Being a guy in this crafting discipline can be somewhat isolating, but I find that I can meeting other gentlemen pursuing fiber arts at the Men’s Knitting Retreats. There are events happening all over the world, but I coordinate the West Coast event held every fall.

Finally, knitters and fiber fiends can rejoice at the marvel that is Ravelry (sometimes called Facebook for Knitters…. but, oh, so much more).
http://www.joyfulstars.org xois

ah you should have had people from Raverly on!!
http://twitter.com/FluffyKira Fluffykira

Knitting is more than a hobby for me – it is simply a way of life. Like breathing. My grandmother taught me when I was 7 years old and now, almost 25 years later I knit every day. Knitting (and spinning yarn) fulfills my creative needs, quiets my mind, and contributes joy to my every day life. Thank you for this podcast!
In a S-knit

Knitting is such a great way to use both sides of the brain! I’ve been knitting for over 40 years and teaching knitting for over 20 years. I love to teach children with their parents. It is wonderful to see a child catch on to something as fast or faster than their parent and also to see their parent struggle a bit with learning a new skill (they rarely get to). Susan Strawn is a great friend of mine and her book and interview are wonderful!
http://artdecodivaknits.blogspot.com/ Eileen

Wonderful show, but really, “of all things”, kntting has never stopped!

I began because my husband thought a handknitted scarf would be very romantic. He got the scarf–eventually–but generally prefers socks now. As do I. No machine knit sock can compare with the comfort of handknit and possibly self-designed socks.

Presently I’m making a Dr Who scarf (the Season 13 version) thanks to the wittylittleknitter site. I am binding a satin trim onto a baby blanket made from a 1930s pattern, a gift for a new baby born to friends of ours. I just finished knee socks with “stocking tops” two days ago.

Yes, I also knit sweaters, shawls, oven mitts, tea cozies, scarves, lace, hats, cowls, mitts…some are from modern patterns. Many are made from patterns of the 20s, 30s, and 40s, and I design my own, as well.

It’s an addiction, a comfort, a means of creation and design, and a source of tactile delight. (And if you’re standing on line, instead of being impatient you can pull out that WIP [work in progress] and knit.)

And…yes…I also blog about knitting!
- John
  
  My mother refused to make me a Doctor Who scarf. She was afraid I’d wear it.
  - Eileen
    
    I certainly intend to wear this one…and my mother is the person who introduced me to the nerdy delights of Dr Who, at that time in the person on Tom Baker, so this scarf is quite appropriate.
    - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZXTDCQIPF7ZE7R4R7VRDDWD4Y4 Ruth
      
      I think that perhaps it was the Tom Baker scarf which eventually lead me to knitting
Stitchy McYarnpants

I have to admit, I bristled a little at the “well ain’t that the darndest thing” attitude Tom took with this piece. His continued use of the phrase “Of all things – knitting!” reminded me of why, after working tirelessly on two books, I still feel like my work is somehow not as valid as if I had written about another pastime, like golf or fishing.

I suspect part of that has to do with the idea that pursuits that are largely dominated by women are taken far less seriously. There are men who knit and crochet, and who are amazing bloggers, podcasters and designers, but the majority of us are women.

We are continually made to feel “quaint”, even though we’re an extremely tech-savvy community. I appreciate the nod to knitting’s popularity, but it often reminds me that women still have to work hard to be taken seriously.
- Stitchy McYarnpants
  
  Seeing Guido’s avatar, I can only imagine how hard it is to explain his standing in the knitting community to someone outside of it.
  
  Oddly, I find that within the knitting community, men appear to garner more respect. Maybe because they’re more rare, but I always wonder if it’s because they’re men and we’re simply taught to respect them automatically. And with so few men among so many women, is there some kind of respect overdrive? Is this just the natural order of things?
  
  This is an issue I often struggle with because I’m not sure how to approach it. It’s really hard to put a finger on.
  
  Guido, let me put my finger on you. ~poke~ Do you feel a sense of respect from women in the knitting community? Or have you felt like an outcast?
  - http://twitter.com/GuidoS Guido Stein
    
    two things…
    
    one, I agree… there was something diminishing about the way way Tom described knitting, I don’t think he meant to and overall I thought the show as very knitter positive, but I can’t help but feel like every now and again knitting was equal to quant.
    
    two, as a male… ha… I prefer to not approach knitting or any creative processes as a gendered experience. Yes, I sometimes am a little left out or I make others uncomfortable as a male who knits and is happy to be a part of the community. I tend to get a little too much respect, onsite, as someone who knows how to use a needle… but again… it’s not that good respect, but the respect…it’s more like the firm petting on the head because you can knit… and you are a man.
    
    That said… I think that knitting and all the fiber craft community are an interesting and powerful lot, and I am blown away by what people can do everyday.
    
    hope this is what you were looking for.
    - Stitchy McYarnpants
      
      That’s exactly what I was wondering about, thanks! I don’t generally view knitting as a gendered sport, it’s just sometimes something as simple as a tone in someone’s voice can get my hackles up.
      
      I do think our community gets underestimated a lot. I guess if you’re not in it, it’s hard to see. For all I know, train enthusiasts could be poised to take over the world at any moment.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Ellen-Silva/1278271818 Ellen Silva
        
        One of my colleagues at work is a refinisher (rebuilder, really) of classic cars. He immediately recognized the similarity with passionate knitting. And when he learned that I also spin, he was really impressed.
        
        Those who do any pursuit deeply have the potential to be kindred spirits to knitters.
Jeanette

Glad you had this show on knitting–but can’t believe it’s taken so long for you to realize how widespread the passion for knitting is–and how long it’s been going on. Ravelry added its 1 millionth member last November.
I’ve been knitting for 50 years now but never so much as in the last 10 years. I belong to several knitting groups and have made many friends of all ages as a result–both in person and online.
What amazes me is the youth of the knitters and designers on Ravelry and knitty.com–young women with tattoos and piercings are knitting everything from X-rated underwear to Victorian lace shawls.
I, too, knit for charity–one of my favorites is afghans4afghans, which has been collecting all kinds of knit garments for women and children in Afghanistan–for years now.
There are also a bunch of great guy knitters, e.g., brooklyntweed, who has a wonderful blog and designs exquisite garments for Vogue, etc. I’m a huge fan of his.
TrudyBrown

A self-taught knitter, I knit differently from every other knitter I have seen. Last summer I was traveling through Wales, and when I took a break from sightseeing to sit and knit on a bench and knit a bit on a pair of socks, some elderly women sat opposite me, clucking and shaking their heads at my funny way of knitting. They were speaking Welsh so that I couldn’t understand, but I knew what they were saying!

I know that I wouldn’t have had so many interesting conversations in my travels if I had not had my knitting with me. I treasure those conversations and discussions; they were the most wonderful part of my journey.
Angela

I’ve been knitting since my mother taught me at age 7 (37 years now) and crocheting since I taught myself as a lefty at age 12. I can’t count the number of items I’ve made for myself and friends & family over the years. It gives a great sense of accomplishment to finish a piece and look at and think “every single stitch of this passed through my fingers”. Can’t say that about many things these days.

Knitting beside my mom is a memory that I will carry with me forever. It made me feel special because my two sisters could do it too, but not as well and knitting bonded my mother and me. As well, the two blankets my mother knit for me will also be special. She also started me knitting baby caps for preemies in hospitals which gives a wonderful warm feeling.

It is an exercise of the mind. I constantly count stitches in my head as I do it which I like to think is keeping me young in mind! I hope to be knitting for many years to come regardless of its popularity.

Thank you for this show. I enjoyed it very much.
Pingback: Getting to be on NPR- Knitting Resurgence « Streetcolor's Blog
Susan B.

Thanks for the show. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (the YarnHarlot) crunched the numbers in her most recent book and demonstrated that WAY more Americans knit than play golf. Yes, we are mostly women, but we are educated, articulate, professional women and it is time that we and our knitting got some respect. You and your staff had clearly done your research. Thank you!
Pingback: Knitting Resurgance « Barn Talk
Pingback: Knitting For Victory | Lindsey
http://sheepdreams-dianne.blogspot.com/ Dianne@sheepdreams

There are those of us who enjoy knitting as a way of life. It is certainly not just a fad. I have raised sheep, spun their wool into yarn and knitted that yarn into items for those I care about for 30+ years. Among my circle of friends are people of all ages who raise alpacas, angora goats, angora rabbits and many different breeds of sheep. The idea that some consider appreciating the skill and care that goes into anything handmade or nurtured by your own hands to be “regression” is disheartening. (though I suppose there are always those who prefer to be critical and negative about anything they don’t truly understand)
http://twitter.com/GuidoS Guido Stein

FYI – here is the original petition to have this show:
http://act.ly/2uk
Pingback: Knit One, Purl Two … The NMS Knitting Club « Newton Montessori Matters
Leslye Borden

I started Handmade Especially for You, a non-profit that knits and crochets comfort scarves for abused women. In 2010, we made and distributed 10,000 scarves to shelters for abused women in S CA. It’s amazing of course that the need for scarves is so great; the enthusiastic response of all the volunteers who made the 10,000 scarves is even more striking. We are on schedule to made and donate even more scarves in 2011. Our volunteers include people as young as teens (even boys) in high school working for their community service hours to senior women 93 years old who want to live meaningful lives. Knitting comfort scarves makes a big difference in all their lives.
Leslye Borden, Founder
Handmade Especially for You
http://www.handmadeespecially.org
501(c)3 EIN: 26-3529292
Sue

Great show. I have been knitting since I was 11, I find it to be so relaxing. There is nothing making something with your own hands. Plus people love getting handmade items. I love the smell of wool too.
Mary

Thank you for the spotlight on knitting, a much beloved craft!
- Mary
  
  And Susan hit the nail on the head when she said it was about getting back in touch with the joy of the PROCESS — that’s really what it is for me. I’m sad when I finish a project, because for me, it’s not the product, it’s the potential that gets me excited about the project.
spinningKat

Wow-nice that the “mainstream” is celebrating knitting-finally! Welcome to the party! Knitters know how to have fun in that we often do it in groups these days. I have been a knitter for 25 years-it is my hobby and my sickness-some say. I own and dye a line of yarn in my barn on my farm-selling to over 120 yarn shops across the country (Scarlet Fleece). I raise a flock of registered shetland sheep as well as angora bunnies and cashmere goats. I share knitting and spinning skills with the local middle school girls and rarely a day goes by when I am not knitting or spinning. It is a lifestyle, but also a touchstone with all that share this passion now and back through centuries past.
Nogojo

It’s the economy, stoopid!
- nanette0269
  
  hardly. yarns are pricey! its much cheaper to buy a sweater from bangladesh than purchase alpaca wool from a local dye artist.
  - Pegi
    
    Not always. The least expensive yarn I can buy comes from a local shepherdess in Brewster, MA. She sends the fleece to Maine to be spun and dyed by a historic mill, then sells it out of the tack room of her barn. When people talk about all-natural, close to the land yarn, I think of my dear shepherdess friend. And, hey, it’s also cheap entertainment – each project can keep me busy for months on end!
Tangled In Words And Yarn

I’m 27, I’ve been knitting for 20 years, the past 10 years seriously. Because of podcasts (Knitmore Girls, Yarngasm, Manic Purl, Subway Knitter, etc), Tumblr, and Ravelry, I found that my passion for it has only multiplied. I’ve been unable to work due to health reasons for 4 years, and it makes me feel productive, so much so that friends are beginning to commission pieces from me. It is relaxing, and can help stop a panic attack. During college I took a course about Western psychology and Eastern religions and for my final I wrote a paper about why knitting is a form of meditation, and knit a hat. I got an A and the professor loved the hat.

It is entertaining for me, and keeps me busy. I’ll bring my knitting in my purse and pull it out in public while I’m waiting. Last night my boyfriend wanted me to come to a midnight release of a video game, and I just sat on the floor knitting a sock for two hours while he played video games and talked to the other guys waiting. I also knit while waiting ages in the hospital the other day. Two older woman commented to each other that they wish they had my talent.

I’m also going to start to spin I just bought a drop down spindle, and several ounces of wool roving from my LYS. I hope to spin and dye my own yarn one day.

It really is a way of life. It is creative, I see over priced hats, etc at stores and can break it down in my head to recreate it on my own. I’ve become far more connected to other knitters, and the people who receive my knit pieces know how much work I’ve put into them, and how I really limit recipients to those who will appreciate it. Plus, there is nothing better than wearing socks/hat/scarf/etc, and just knowing that you made it. It is a great feeling.
Beck

I had to laugh that your show is covering knitting tonight–at this moment I am casting on a pair of socks so I have a project to take to a protest against ending state employee unions at our state capital in Wisconsin tomorrow. Knitting helps me stay sane when the world feels like it’s falling apart.
Johanna

I cannot get over you are having this show at this time! I am just this month designing a graduate nursing research pilot project bringing mindful knitting to a woman’s support group who are living with the life threatening illness and linking this intervention to self transcendence, spirituality and wellbeing Everything from color therapy, touch therapy, the benefits of eye movement, it really is therapy for everyone please check out an extraordinary research blog from the UK called http://www.stitchlinks.com/mystory.html
thanks, Johanna from Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
Johanna

Knitting is very wonderful social therapy , providing mindful, artistic experiences which enhance life for all who get involved. I am a graduate nursing student designing a pilot research study with women who are living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C and mindful knitting! In my research, I came upon an extraordinary knitting internet site from the UK meant to help those who suffer from any condition including mental health disorders called Stitchlinks. There is a lot of joy with this activity …
wonky

I was amazed when I saw a friend knitting socks. That was the moment when, for me, knitting became a goal, a challenge, and a way that I could make amazing things myself. Thank you, Tom, for this topic!
wonky

I was amazed when I saw a friend knitting socks. That was the moment when, for me, knitting became a goal, a challenge, and a way that I could make amazing things myself. Thank you, Tom, for this topic!
wonky

I was amazed when I saw a friend knitting socks. That was the moment when, for me, knitting became a goal, a challenge, and a way that I could make amazing things myself. Thank you, Tom, for this topic!
Lisa Press

I feel like On Point missed the point. If the focus was going to be the resurgence, there should have been more focus on why the craft resurged. 1. Ravelry 2. Stephanie McPhee 3. The blogosphere and the beautiful photos easily created with DSLR cameras. 4. The economy, it is relatively cheap entertainment. I also wish there had been more stories about the sock knitting trend, the hand-dying trend, the spinning trend, which all became trendy through the on-line knitting community.
- Honeyrider_62
  
  Wow, really? I think Ravelry and The Yarn Harlot (Stephanie MacPhee) are important, but they came after the resurgence in the early 2000s. This show is at least 6 years too late in noting the “trend”. Knitblogs (pre-Ravelry) were huge in 2004… I think the point was the rejection of handicrafts by the first (and second?) wave of feminists because it was seen as “women’s work” and then re-appropriated in the late 90s by (many math and science-minded) women.
  - Ro
    
    I take your point that yes, there was an upward surge in knitting pre-Ravelry in the late 1990s/early 2000s. And it has had another popular resurgence now, especially since the advent of social media like the wonderful Ravelry. But knitters have always embraced computer technology. The old bulletin boards and mailing lists from the early days–some of the biggest of them were populated by knitters.
    
    But I wouldn’t quite say feminists were about a wholesale abandonment of handcrafts and knitting. Barbara Walker, for one, would be surprised to hear of this. As would I, over-50 woman that I am.
    
    Personally, I knit because I find it meets both my right and left brain requirements for a hobby. It’s visual, textural and beautiful; it’s mathematical and logical and technical. It’s also a great stress reducer. You can enjoy the ride, and have something nice at the end to show for it. And nowadays, it comes with easy access to a community for social fun. Works for me.
    - Ro
      
      PS I forgot to mention a huge draw for me–knitting’s portability. I used to do quilting and woodworking and other crafts, but it’s hard to stick a table saw in your bag, or pull out a quilting frame in a doctor’s office or fire up a torch and weld while stuck in traffic.
      - Laura
        
        I have to agree! I am a knitter, a woodworker, and a single mom, so I have little time for my hobbies. I often bring my fiber projects in to the office to work on during my lunch hour, or walking from meeting to meeting. When people ask me why I bring my knitting in to work, my usual response is “because my table saw isn’t nearly as portable.”
      - devereaux
        
        That is funny! Thanks for the laugh!
- Julie
  
  I’m a longtime knitter and first noticed the knitting resurgence with Debbie Stoller’s book “Stitch ‘n Bitch” (copyright 2003). The first knit blogger I came across was The Knitting Curmudgeon.
  
  With so many rich topics to explore in the knitting world, this show could barely scratch the surface, but I enjoyed it very much.
Yeyette

Such a delightful show. How wonderful to have knitting featured. I have been knitting for over 60 years…and teaching it for almost as long. I have seen the joy, the quiet, the success, the friendships that develop through knitting. To say nothing of the sweaters, hats, socks blankets knit with love.
Pingback: Tweets that mention The Resurgence Of Knitting | WBUR and NPR - On Point with Tom Ashbrook -- Topsy.com
Colmart

It’s good to see that so many knitters understand the importance of using natural fibers. Acrylic yarn is expensive but it’s not cheap in cost to the environment considering that its made from natural gas and petroleum. I spin wool but do knit. I hope there will be a resurgence in hand weaving on looms as well.
Fancycards

I just knitted 2 scarves and one hat this week on my Provocraft Knifty Knitter looms. It’s fun,quick, it keeps my hands busy while I watch TV or sit and talk with my family–plus, you are able to knit a perfect gift for someone in a matter of hours. There is nothing like a handmade knit scarf or sweater-nothing!
http://www.CloseGrain.com Steve Branam

I enjoyed listening to the people who talked about the joy of doing handwork. I experience the same thing woodworking with hand tools. I also get similar questions from people asking why anyone would do it by hand, but for me it’s just the pure joy.

Similarly, there’s a large online community of woodworkers, breaking down into various specialties, with many blogs and forums. I’m communicating with people all over the world, exchanging pictures of projects and details of techniques.

It’s fun to resurrect a craft as you think about all the knowledge of past centuries that has nearly been discarded in the post industrial age. I also enjoy the feeling of self-sufficiency.
- India
  
  My husband is also a woodworker, and recently built a sailboat. He has found an online community and forums with people who share his passion, just as I have found my knitting community. A real convergence of the new–technology–with the traditional–handicrafts.
Meggpro

My father had the job while growing up of making the wool socks for his 7 brothers and 4 sisters. In his retirement, he set out to do that again, and would spin the wool from local sheep, and made another pair for each of his siblings.

My mother was from England, (she was a sergeant in the British Army during all of WW II) and was an avid knitter. She taught me to knit when I was 5 years old and each of my sisters did some knitting in their turn.

I would knit like a fiend and would get lost in my work while still being aware of my surroundings – something like meditation. When I learned about computer programming later in life (1989) I thought it was just like knitting! Over 3, k2 together etc, has to be done in the precise order, just like programming has to be set up correctly to perform.

Take a look at jacquard weaving – this is really the fore runner of computer programming. Remember the cards used by computer programmers as late as the 1970′s? Cards were used in weaving in the jacquard system too.

I am so glad to see that knitting is coming back. I so enjoyed knitting in my youth that I was disappointed when there was no way to make a living with it in the 1970′s
- Riva
  
  My father taught me to knit when I was about 5 or 6 years old. He worked in an auto parts factory in Detroit that was converted to tank manufacture and a lot of the men took up knitting (with their wives and mothers) to knit socks and hats to send to the boys at war. So, being a patient soul, he taught me how. I spent my childhood knitting at various times, even having knitting ‘speed’ contests with my sister and friends. I was very fast! Now I’m not so fast, but have taught lots of other people to knit (everyone but my daughter who says she isn’t interested) and can’t imagine my life without my needles and yarn stash!
  
  p.s. There is a very old jacquard loom at the Ontario Science Center and the informational placards displayed there mention that weaving on that type of loom is probably a forerunner of modern day computers. And knitting patterns absolutely resemble knitting patterns!
  - Riva
    
    Forgot to mention that this took place during WW II.
Pingback: Setting up shop » DesigKnit
Liz

I would like for this “resurgence” to grow to the point where I can pull out the yarn and sticks in business meetings and not be viewed as a lunatic. I’m a corporate executive who knits for many reasons well expressed in these comments — bottom line is I love it and will keep doing it until my hands give out or I use up my yarn supply, whichever comes first.

Also worth sharing that as we search for a better wiki-based tool for my firm, I am showing people how Ravelry makes things happen. I believe it is the best social media site ever developed.

Might it be a good idea to raise up this craft and the mental benefits that come with it as a serious, legitimate contributor to good health?
bleahy

I teach Computer Science at a major technical school and just happen to know a number of knitters. I was recently surprised when one of my students told me that a lot of teenage boys are taking up knitting to maintain or improve their dexterity which is important when they play video games! I was amazed!
Pingback: NPR and Knitting
Ashe

Your guest is correct; she doesn’t understand yoga.
Tina, RI

I sort of wish I hadn’t confused OnPoint’s companion website about the IMAGES OF KNITTING with this site when I posted a couple of knitting stories that I really want to share (they’re SHORT, too, unlike my “tome” for Robt. Reich!). Other people posted great cross-cultural, cross-generational stories there, too! Hope you’ll check them out! Thanks!
Pingback: SpinDyeKnit
Pingback: The Resurgence Of Knitting | WBUR and NPR – On Point with Tom Ashbrook « Freestyle Fashion
Pingback: “On Point” radio on the POINTS! «
Laura

My son is in a Waldorf School and Handwork/Knitting is a part of the cirricullum. He has learned the whole process from sheep to yarn…shearing, carding, spinning, dye etc. and He loves it!
It has incredible benefits on the brain development; also hand eye coordination, laterality, crossing the mid line …all good stuff for reading/learning.
It gives him incredible satisfaction to simple create something and to see one’s progress and it teaches patience.
We knit at home as a family and it is very bonding…when the hands are busy in this way he often feels free to tell me about his day.
The WIP- (work in progress) is something we take with us everywhere car, train, plane, boat, church and meetings. My son went sailing last summer on a schooner and he pulled out his knitting and a few other knitters were on board and he had instant friends. It got other kids intrerested and soon they had a community. When they came to a port there was a group who went ashore to find a yarn shop so they could join the fun.
- guest
  
  Laura
  
  I’m curious to know how old your son is. I am a knitter by night, and a preschool director by day. I would LOVE to incorporate knitting with my students, but think that they’re too young. Does he use needles or his fingers?
  
  Thanks
  Dana
  - Syoung4
    
    Oh my you can start them with fiber as soon as you can trust them not to eat it! Finger manipulation is great as a first place to start, use the resulting chains to tie things up or hang up as art! I have worked with kids as young as 5 with smallish needles, be mindful of the relationship between knitter needle and yarn – don’t go too large on anything, but do experiment with it all – and Good luck!
    - BrainySmurfette
      
      You are absolutely correct..I gave my daughter, who is 18mos, a skein of yarn and when I knit when I knit she grabs her skein and plays with it by draping and winding. She is not allowed to play with her yarn unless I am with her and would not suggest letting such a young toddler to do so, but she is definitely understanding that there is something so much more to it!!!!
- guest
  
  Laura
  
  I’m curious to know how old your son is. I am a knitter by night, and a preschool director by day. I would LOVE to incorporate knitting with my students, but think that they’re too young. Does he use needles or his fingers?
  
  Thanks
  Dana
Jill

I learned to knit 7 years ago when my youngest daughter became ill with depression and addiction issues: Now I own a local yarn shop and know fibber arts as a recovery therapy!
Nicki

Just found out about this segment from the TNNA website, while looking for resources to start a new retail yarn store/community knitting space. I agree with the many knitters who feel On Point is coming late to the party, but I am SO glad it came at all.

It would be great to do a follow up story with Ravelry.com founders Jess and Casey, some of the younger designers who are now making an impact on the craft, as well as the impact of knitting in a group. I say this because there were a lot of (naggingly stereotypical) references to little old ladies instead of addressing the reality: In my knitting group, there are far more twenty and thirty somethings than those of us who are middle aged and beyond. The energy and enthusiasm fueled by younger knitters spurs everyone’s courage to try more challenging projects. In fact, if it were not for the amazing knitting group that I joined, I’d probably still be making garter stitch scarves alone. With the group, we feel emboldened to take on challenges because help and advice is always close at hand.

Thanks for doing this story, On Point. Please consider a second segment to tell more of the current state of knitting.
- Ewetildeath
  
  agree (1,000)
Nicki

Just found out about this segment from the TNNA website, while looking for resources to start a new retail yarn store/community knitting space. I agree with the many knitters who feel On Point is coming late to the party, but I am SO glad it came at all.

It would be great to do a follow up story with Ravelry.com founders Jess and Casey, some of the younger designers who are now making an impact on the craft, as well as the impact of knitting in a group. I say this because there were a lot of (naggingly stereotypical) references to little old ladies instead of addressing the reality: In my knitting group, there are far more twenty and thirty somethings than those of us who are middle aged and beyond. The energy and enthusiasm fueled by younger knitters spurs everyone’s courage to try more challenging projects. In fact, if it were not for the amazing knitting group that I joined, I’d probably still be making garter stitch scarves alone. With the group, we feel emboldened to take on challenges because help and advice is always close at hand.

Thanks for doing this story, On Point. Please consider a second segment to tell more of the current state of knitting.
Pingback: Podcast-Tipp | Maschengold
Brennan511

seems trivial, but “fabric” is everything, even gorillas weave A NEST… and chimps knit out termite snacks.
I want to arch needles however in the subject of “social fabric” and the individual threads of society, that/who if not properly IDENTIFIED can cause innocent[!!] rifts! holes and pitfalls in society, even humanity!

The “N.Y.T.ing” I am talking about is of N-NORMATIVE selection and placement of T-TransplantABLE[virtue-$,intell,phys] Y-Youth![teens]
the Normative quantifications can be as easy as IDentifying cashmere, spider silk… or horse hair [dog hair?] and how ‘the golden fleese’ can be elusive and insular, while the mongrol can be omni present [begging and indeed rendering... the flag of independence- into foreIGN dependence]
The “IGNorance evidence” or denial is highly important as part of the “import/EXCHANGE system”, those who deny there is a problem are directly in line to physically/geographically prove it, and understand/DO the tricky weave that binds or select the MISLOCATED YARN that is highly desirable and functional on the other side [where 13 colonies/west are bliss;;; or where Shanghai/Asia are the san fran comfort. Hoarders... can be directly caught up in this isolated[insular] misinterpretation while youth suffer being tied in knots by ALIEN geographic norms [mistaking CASHMERE for dog hair, simply because geographic "culture wars" are blind to the weave? and VISSION! that is blinded by foeIGN wool being seductive [politically mending non-existant PASSAGES] over our eyes and under our feet -catch 22! it’s too warm to leave and you don’t know the way EVERY HOW”,

The “n.y.t.” of social justice, the statistical “wild cards” that threaten our cultural fortitude! and and the social threads that are so desperately MISLOCATED they form triplines snags and distrust.

Not a [social] policy of purity… but of justice and security and mending through selective action, getting “lost sheep” to the RITE side of the table [continental america] where they will esteem preservation and responcibility, as a knit in time saves nine, and Grandma’s can weave Presidents, but the fatherland contains the greatest secrets, and the proudest sashes or clean socks.
- Crunky
  
  Are you on crack?!
  - devereaux
    
    That’s kind of what I was thinking when I read Brennan’s post.
Katyspurls

I have been teaching knitting for stores and Park Districts in the Chicago area for over 25 years and always have good numbers. One year I taught 13 classes a week to children and adults. Currently, I have 5 classes a week (Im sure I could do more if I wanted to). I don’t think it is a resurgeance of knitting – it is just more social. People used to knit as a way to occupy their minds and hands, now they do it in a more social setting – and for many it is a form of therapy!
Mindy

I started knitting when a friend was going through chemo, and got “hooked”. Here’s my blog post called “Knitting through the storm…”:
http://mindysmuses.blogspot.com/search/label/knitting
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZXTDCQIPF7ZE7R4R7VRDDWD4Y4 Ruth
  
  I started knitting when I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and was sitting in doctors offices for prolonged periods not to mention traveling sometimes great distances to get to the doctor. (I live in a rural area in New Mexico) It keeps my mind active, gives me hope for a long future and provides me with hours of pleasure.
  - Mindy
    
    Hi Ruth! Thanks for your reply to my message. Great to hear about how knitting gives you pleasure and a sense of the future. Sounds like a very creative way to cope during a difficult time.
    
    For me, knitting has been so helpful in reducing anxiety and helping me stay inthe present.
    
    BTW – The friend I started knitting caps for is also part of a wonderful project – making collages – which was started by another woman who was in remission. Their long-term project also gives them hope, as they create!
    
    Take care!
LyndaInOregon

Can I chime in here with a note on the “economy” of knitting? Yes, I can go to a BigBox store and buy a sweater for $12.99. It will be 100% acrylic, in the color and styling dictated by the manufacturer. I can wear it, throw it in the washer and dryer, and repeat 10 or 20 times before it begins looking ratty. And every time I wear it, I will probably see 100 other women wearing the same thing. Also, since I am a “plus size” woman, my store-bought sweater will probably be too long and the sleeves will hang to my knees (because of course if you’re 25% bigger around, your arms are 25% longer — NOT!)

Or…… I can get a natural fabric yarn and pay anywhere from $30 to $300 for it. I can choose the color, the thickness, the softness. I can knit it to a gauge that produces a lovely drape or a firm fabric. I can choose body shape, collar style, sleeve length and style to suit myself, and I can tweak the measurements so that the finished garment fits ME, not someone else. And . . . here’s where the economy comes in . . . if I choose a classic style and care for the garment properly, I can wear it for 10 or 15 or 20 years. (My husband has a fisherman’s knit sweater that I made for him right after we married, 40 years ago.)

Bottom line . . . cheap is not always economical. And just think of the fun I have getting to that bottom line!
- Tangled In Words And Yarn
  
  You are so right, while it isn’t always economical, that isn’t the point. There are times when I do save money when I knit, such as when I knit hats/scarves my sister sees at stores such as American Eagle, that are overpriced, and the quality isn’t usually that great. I’ve knitted several items where I saved, in at least the cost of the yarn, at least $20.
  
  Knitting is a hobby I can take anywhere (I get very fidgety). It has helped to stop full blown panic attacks, and when I’m especially anxious you can tell by the amount of knitting I have completed. It is a social activity, that while my boyfriend may be playing video games, I will knit and we can still talk and interact while doing what we like. It helps push my creativity and math skills. And I can make a gorgeous pair of socks, etc that will last me far longer than those that are store bought.
  
  So if you look at all those things it brings to my life, how much they may be worth, it is more than worth it. Also, I think it is amazing your husband still has a sweater that you knit him.
  - Jelun
    
    Not to mention that if the outsourced work must compete with even cottage industry and created with love articles maybe they will become more innovative and pay their workers better.
Shelby

Taught in first grade Waldorf schools, knitting hones childrens math and artistic skills while creating a space of rewarding calm and contemplation for the child. Seen firsthand, it is an incredible thing. (A whole class of children, knitting!) As a knitter, if you have a Waldorf school in your area, you owe it to yourself to stop by and see what’s happening within this wonderful, traditional education. You will simply be amazed.
Kimberly Harms

Knitting & crocheting has even made it into the Super Bowl world! As Indianapolis prepares to host Super Bowl XLVI, the host committee started a Super Scarves program in which volunteers from across the country are knitting, crocheting or weaving scarves for the volunteers working the big game to wear as part of their uniforms in February 2012. We have TV stars like Carolyn Hennessy of Cougar Town & Vanna White of Wheel of Fortune are just a couple. So definitely the cool factor!
- Gritsandpurls
  
  The Steelers knitters and Green Bay Packers knitters started a charity knitting contest for the month of February for Super Bowl XLV
Greg

Cool Video

Thanks
Jessicaleekaufman

I have a Masters degree in Crafts Education, and have been teaching elementary children to knit at a Montessori School for 4 years now. You wouldn’t believe how incredibly talented they have become, and the world of good that I see it bringing them makes me proud to be part of knitting’s history.
Anonymous

i love the process of knitting.
http://voiceoftheyarn.blogspot.com Reelkids

Sorry I missed the program! I’m writing my MFA thesis on the growth of feminism through knitting and have been parking myself around the Greater Boston area for the past seven months staging spontaneous knitting circles. I invite people to knit on a long root like piece which divides into three sections. While knitting with strangers, I have collected wonderful stories and have connected to some wonderful folks. Like the stories listed here on this blog, I would love to hear more stories from knitters out there. Please visit my blog site and become part of my project. http://voiceoftheyarn.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=653084045 Tammy Stafford Ruble

I was extremely irked by the constant, condescending use of the phrase “knitting, of all things.” Tom, the “recent” resurgence of knitting, IMO, is really not much more than an increase in the visibility of knitters and the ability of us knitters to connect easily via social networks like FB and Ravelry. Frankly, the phrase “of all things” was really demeaning and insulting. I was very surprised you used it several times.
Niki Vettel

Yikes…kinda surprised ON POINT is so late in coming to the knitting table; in fact, the latest “resurgence” seems to have peaked about 3 years ago, when you couldn’t walk into a Barnes & Noble without stumbling over a large display of knitting books, and the newspapers were filled with pictures of Julia Roberts knitting. Knitting stores were springing up (sometimes not very well managed), and “Knit Outs” were happening everywhere, including here on the Boston Common.
Things seem to have leveled off now; one sign is the closing of some long-time stores (Woolcott in Harvard Square, a yarn shop in Plymouth). Even Michael’s stores have decreased the floor space and inventory of yarn.
My Mom, who recently passed at the age of 93, was born in Switzerland, where she told me kids learned to knit in kindergarten (hats off to Waldorf Schools, who’ve picked up on that). She taught me to knit, and while she was a perfectionist’s perfectionist, and I’m not, we loved to knit together. She got a real kick out of novelty yarns like fun fur, and thought big needles were nutty. As I knit today, I feel a great connection with her.
Knitting is truly a wonderful skill/craft/hobby/passion that is passed from one to another in the oldest way possible; I suppose you can teach yourself from a book or a website, but really, the greatest way to learn the basics, new stitches, tricks of the trade — is from another person. It’s truly an oral (and physical!) tradition that’s passed along.
I only wish that yarn store owners could be more welcoming of new customers and newbies, in general. Maybe people who open yarn stores are basically solitary folk, but it’s a constant surprise to walk into a lovely yarn shop and be ignored, or, in some way, dealt with by a person with poor social skills!
In the meantime — knit away! It’s really a wonderful skill to cultivate, and share.
- Tangled In Words And Yarn
  
  I completely agree about some LYS owners. When I lived in NH there was one in my tow, and the woman looked down at me, and couldn’t comprehend that I knew what I was doing. However I now live NC and my LYS is fabulous! The owner is super nice and helpful, but not in your face. There is another woman who works there, that also owns a farm, teaches spinning there and supplies the store with all of the roving, tops, etc for spinning. When I do go in I feel nothing but welcome. More LYS owners should be like that. I feel that age is also a big factor with some owners, as I’m under 30, look about 18, and tend to be the youngest by at least a decade every time I go in.
  
  The passing of the art is also a great point. My grandmother taught me, and she gave me all of her vintage needles when she passed away. Long after she stopped because of arthritis, she would like to just sit with me and see how I was doing every stitch and constructing the garment. I really miss having someone to do that with.
- Nancy Press
  
  If anyone reading this post happens to live (or be in) Portland, Oregon, please look up Knit Purl on 11th Avenue and SW Alder. I do NOT have any connection to the store except that it is where I learned to knit almost 2 years ago. They are unbelievably welcoming to newbies — and everyone else, including well-behaved dogs — have beautiful yarn, and anyone who works in the store will help you through a problem in a project you bring in. I picked up knitting on a whim that has now become a passion, and a lot of the warmth of this experience has been due to the folks at Knit Purl.
Amy

I cringed every time Tom said they were talking about knitting “OF ALL THINGS.” Has he been in a book store lately (as in the last 3 to 4 years), noticed all the knitting magazines at said book stores, seen groups of people knitting at coffee shops?
Pingback: Doin’ Some Yarning « Musings
Pingback: Hopeful Weekend Links « New Urban Habitat
Pingback: The Resurgence of Knitting | Knitwits
Linda, Nashville, TN

Tina, thank you for sharing your brother’s story. I understood very deeply your feelings in selecting your hand-knitted sweater for him to wear forever. My mother, who died this past December, crocheted afghans, scarves, hats, etc., for family and friends throughout her long life. She gave these items as expressions of her love. My sister and I, as well as our many cousins, treasure these gifts that knew her touch.

I recently took up knitting with a passion. My greatest joy is creating beautiful things to give to the people I love. I understand now at age 64 what my mother was trying to tell me through her making and giving. It’s all about the process of making something with love and then giving it to your loved one. It’s about that love being present in the form of a scarf wrapped around the neck of your sister or niece. A great feeling of happiness comes over me when I think of all the articles of love keeping my loved ones warm during this unusually cold winter. I always begin a project with a particular person in mind, which allows me the pleasure of feeling love for that person with every stitch I knit.

I wear the many scarves my mother made for me every chance I get. There are always compliments from strangers in department stores because my mother was a gifted designer as well as crocheter. I find that in answering their inquiries about a particular scarf, I always use the present tense. For me, she is alive and with me in the form of a scarf wrapped warmly about my neck.
Pingback: Here’s a Thing | Knitting Interrupted
Eyeknit4ewe

I started knitting 30 years ago as a teenager and I remember when Vogue Knitting was the only decent knitting magazine around. There were very few yarn stores and most of the yarn they sold was scratchy acrylic. I never stopped knitting but felt very alone until the boom of ’95 when it came roaring back and suddenly there were all these wonderful yarns and colors and accessories and knitting groups and now online communities–whew! I felt vindicated for sticking with knitting for so long! I always wanted to be a knitting designer but had no outlet–now I can sell my orginal designs online–it’s really incredible how far knitting has come (back)! I’m glad I stuck to my needles…thanks for the story! And much love to Franklin–I’m one of his biggest fans…(blush)…
Leslie

Thank you for a good show — but please stop with the “of all things” !!
Knitting may not have been a part of your world, but for millions of us — it is not new or a resurgence — it has always been in our life.
Thanks again — it was interesting.
Melinda

This program resonated for me and I’ll share some of the thoughts I had while listening. I agree that it could well use a follow-up.

- Among the charity knitting opportunities there is The Ship Project which collects knitting and distributes it to sailors soldiers, still. It seems those metal ships are chilly to work in. They provide patterns to work with and things to keep in mind while knitting for the troops.

- More and more churches are having knitting groups that make prayer shawls, given to special people and on special occaisions- in our church small baptism shawls are given at each baptism. At one, a baby recieved a shawl made by his brother, who came along and learned to knit with the women in the knitting group.

- For me, one of the attractions to knitting is the availability of so many types of natural fibers- camel, nettle, hemp, bamboo, alpaca…
Kbnature

I knit, because I am. Yes, it’s a process, like meditation. It’s great to make things for other people, but for me it’s about learning and process.
Pingback: More retro-chat… | My Blog
justaknitter

Making a comeback!

Where have you been the last 10 years? Reporters first started the noticing the “comeback” after 9/11.

Good to know NPR has its finger on the pulse!
Gina

Tom, did you get the message yet? Knitting has been here, media attention or no. Try not to offend the knitters, they carry pointy sticks!
Jands

Condescending much?
Jeannie

Loom Knitting is on the rise too!… So is spinning…I am excited about spinning… I have a Spinning Wheel arriving at my doorstep tomorrow!!
Adventures in Alyssaland

I just listened to this. I recently started knitting again. Attached is my blog written after listening.
Adventures in Alyssaland

Oops forgot to attach the link.

http://adventuresinalyssaland.com/2011/02/zen-and-the-art-of-knitting-in-alyssaland.html
http://safaalai.com Safa Alai

In a recent article, I have connected this trend with meaning creation in what I call The Economy of Meaning. http://safaalai.com/2011/02/knitting-bees-social-dimensions-of-the-economy-of-meaning/
Pingback: Yarn Gallery Blog » Blog Archive » Listen to the Radio
Pingback: On Point « Knitting before Knitting was Cool
Lenore Barnett

Leaving a knitted garment or afghan leaves a gift for a loved one as a remembrance to always have from that person.
Bond

Wow I’m sad! As a knitter, I was so excited to listen to this show, but for NPR, the host was INCREDIBLY condescending. It takes a lot to offend me, but this show just lost a listener. The way he acted like it was this “quaint little hobby”, not to mention the idea that this resurgance is recent (???) really was just poor journalism in my opinion.
Susie

That was a wonderful show!! My beloved grandmother taught me to knit 35 years ago and I still love it. I didn’t think the host was condescending at all. He was polite and genuinely interested in the knitting topic. Goodness, people need to lighten up. I have ordered all the books by the guests. Thank you for the great show!!
Pingback: In Which I Write a Blog Entry To Avoid the Gym | Creaky Machinations
Pingback: Knitting is for old biddies – isn’t it? « Francine Rose… Copy. Concept. Content.
Pingback: Knitting’s just for little old ladies – isn’t it? | Port Hadlock Yarns
Jean

Looking for a recent article in Mother Earth News (Nov., 2011, Dec., 2011 or Nan., 2012 concerning knitting tips with diagrams and drawings on techniques for holding yarn.
http://twitter.com/monikaborua Monika Borua

Nice Blog ! Thank you for your very nice articles. I look forward to visiting your site in the future!
Methods of Modern Farming
Pingback: Knitting 5-year-old – Knitting | Knitting Online » Blog Archive

ONPOINT

TODAY

Uncovering Apple’s Tax Havens

May 22, 2013

147 Comments

Apple CEO Tim Cook is sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, May 21, 2013, prior to testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent subcommittee on Investigations hearing. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Apple in the hot seat. Lawmakers say the company dodged billions in taxes on overseas profits. We’ll look at the world of off shore tax escapes.

How Can We Better Prepare For Tornadoes?

May 22, 2013

78 Comments

A woman carries her child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2013. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)

After Oklahoma’s giant twister, does Tornado Alley need to change the way it builds and lives in the age of superstorms?

RECENT

SHOWS

Henry Ford And His World

May 21, 2013

55 Comments

The controversial and brilliant Henry Ford and the world he invented.

George Packer On America’s ‘Unwinding’

May 21, 2013

282 Comments

New Yorker writer George Packer’s inside history of the great unwinding of America’s 20th century way of life and where we stand now.

On Point Blog

Switching Shows For Our Second Hour Today

Friday, May 17, 2013

Adventures in live radio. Richard Snow, our guest for our show on Henry Ford, was held up — possibly by a faulty Model T? — so we’re running a terrific archive show on great quotations.

More »
5 Comments

Floyd Abrams On Obama Vs. Nixon

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Floyd Abrams — one of the country’s leading authorities on the First Amendment — joined us today to talk about revelations that the Justice Department seized two months of phone records from the Associated Press.

More »
Comment

Dr. Judy Garber On Angelina Jolie’s Cancer Decision

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Dr. Judy Garber — director of the Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute — joined us for the final segment of our show today to talk about star Angelina Jolie’s decision to undergo a preventative double mastectomy.

More »
Comment