by Phyllis McIntosh A Craft Makes a Comeback The joy of “making a piece of string into something I can wear,” as one knitter described it, has catapulted the ancient craft of hand knitting into one of the most popular hobbies in the United States. Once considered the province of grannies and expectant mothers stitching layettes, knitting is enjoying a 21st century resurgence, espe- cially among young people. Knitting, it turns out, is a trendy, often eco-friendly pastime with a wide range of appeals. And, thanks to the Internet, modern knitters can share knowledge and ideas through vir- tual knitting circles that span the nation and even the globe. 36 2 0 1 1 N u m b e r 1 | E n g l i s h T E a c h i n g F o r u m History of Knitting 20th century, rejected by one generation as too old-fashioned for the modern woman Historians believe that knitting origi- and embraced by the next as a fun, even nated in the Middle East and spread to trendy, pastime. Some swings in popularity Europe, via trade routes, and eventually were dictated by history. During the Great to the western world as European immi- Depression of the 1930s, for example, grants settled there. The oldest known many women turned to knitting out of items of knitted fabric are socks dating economic necessity. In wartime, Americans from the 3rd to 5th century, excavated in answered the patriotic call to knit socks, Egypt during the 1800s. Likely created sweaters, scarves, mittens, and stretch ban- with a single needle, they closely resemble dages for soldiers on the battlefront. modern knits. The oldest surviving exam- During World War II, the American ples of true knitting, using the two-needle Red Cross supplied patterns for military method popular today, are blue and white wear that were shared among knitters, cotton socks, again from Egypt, that were many of whom produced the same items fabricated somewhere between the 11th over and over so they could memorize and the 14th centuries. the patterns and maximize their output. By the late Middle Ages, the craft was In November 1941, Life magazine, then apparently quite popular in Europe, as one of the most popular periodicals in the evidenced by several paintings from that United States, featured a cover on knit- period that depict the Virgin Mary knit- ting. Photographs of First Lady Eleanor ting. Knitted garments, especially stockings Roosevelt often showed her knitting or tot- favored by stylish gentlemen of the era, ing her large knitting bag. Even wounded were produced by professional guilds, in soldiers sent home to recover were encour- which young men apprenticed to become aged to knit as part of their therapy. master knitters. The handicraft also thrived in the British Isles, especially Scotland, where entire families worked at producing woolen socks, sweaters, and hats to protect fishermen from harsh weather at sea. With the invention of knitting machines and the advent of the Industrial Revolution, knitted items could be mass produced, and hand knitting was relegat- ed to the home. For many women of the 18th and 19th centuries, knitting for the family was a chore to fit around household and child care duties. By the late 1800s, however, knitting had become a fashion- able leisure activity for Victorian ladies, who strived to make the hobby look more ladylike by holding their needles like pen- cils rather than gripping them with their palms, as is customary today. In the United States, the popularity of knitting waxed and waned throughout the E n g l i s h T E a c h i n g F o r u m | N u m b e r 1 2 0 1 1 37 At the same time, the craft indus- try is offering a wide range of specialty yarns and designs for items favored by the young, such as fashionable crop tops, bags, and cell phone and iPod covers. Adding to knitting’s appeal is its grow- ing popularity among celebrities such as actresses Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, and Brooke Shields, and even tough guy actor Russell Crowe. Characters on popu- lar television shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds have been shown wielding knitting needles. A chief advantage for all ages is that knitting is a completely portable hobby. Busy Americans knit on buses and sub- ways, in coffee shops and during meetings, in doctors’ waiting rooms, while watching sporting events, and at the bedsides of ail- ing loved ones. The Lure of Knitting The reasons people knit are as varied as knitters themselves. The number one rea- Knitting Revival son for most is that it is simply fun. And like any craft, knitting is a creative outlet, Since 2000, knitting has enjoyed an a form of artistic expression unprecedented revival, especially among that can be shared with others. the young. According to the Craft Yarn Nearly half of those responding Council of America, one third of all to a survey by the Craft Yarn American women aged 25 to 35 now knit Council of America said they or crochet (a related form of needlework). especially enjoy making gifts In just three years, their ranks increased for family and friends, knowing 150 percent, while the number of young- that their creations will endure sters and teenagers taking up the needles for years and likely be cherished doubled. by the recipients. For some Knitting has begun to show up among activist types, hand knitting art and craft classes offered at some schools, even represents a form of the Knitting Guild Association reports. rebellion against what Through a Needle Arts Mentoring Pro- they see as often shoddy gram, the Helping Hands Foundation mass-produced goods. provides knitting supplies and instructions Knitting for charity is equal- to encourage more schools, after school ly popular. Through the Knit-a-Square programs, and inner-city organizations to project, knitters all over the world send teach knitting to youngsters. squares to be made into blankets for 38 2 0 1 1 N u m b e r 1 | E n g l i s h T E a c h i n g F o r u m AIDS orphans and aban- ism. As one woman commented in Ber- doned babies in Africa. In the United nadette Murphy’s book Zen and the Art of States, the Warm Up America Founda- Knitting: “This is what my knitting tells tion recruits knitters to stitch caps for me: That I have faith in tomorrow. That newborns and squares to be assembled we are all joined together. That each stitch into afghans that are donated to homeless is vital to hold the garment together, just shelters, nursing homes, hospitals, and day as each person is vital to this world.” care centers. Other groups, such as Head Huggers, knit soft, warm “chemo caps” for New Trends in Knitting cancer patients who lose their hair during Not content just to relax, some knit- chemotherapy. ters like to go public in a big way. Across Knitters have rallied even to animals the United States, knitting groups hold in need, fashioning sweaters for fairy pen- Knit-Outs in parks, shopping malls, recre- guins in Australia that were rescued from ation centers—and even on the National oil slicks. The little sweaters kept the birds Mall in Washington, D.C.—to demon- warm and prevented them from preen- strate their craft and teach it to thousands ing and ingesting oil before their feathers of onlookers. could be washed by volunteers. Many knitters say that turning to their Yarn Bombing needles and yarn is a great stress reliever, an An amusing new trend is graffiti knit- escape from both the frenzy and tedium of ting, also known as yarn bombing, in daily life. According to Dr. Herbert Ben- which hip, young urbanites wrap color- son, president of the Mind and Body Med- ful knitted fabric around lamp posts, ical Institute at Harvard Medical School, trees, and sometimes entire city buses to the repetitive action of knitting creates a brighten the city environment. The fad state of relaxation similar to that brought reportedly started in Texas among young about by yoga or various forms of medita- knitters seeking a creative way to use their tion. Research indicates that knitting can leftover yarn and unfinished projects. It lower the heart rate and blood pressure and has since spread worldwide, as the “artists” can possibly delay memory loss in older photograph their installations and share adults. Keeping the hands occupied with them on the Internet. knitting has been shown to help people stop smoking, avoid overeating, and cope Eco-Friendly Knitting with pain and depression. One California At work, at home, and at leisure hospital teaches knitting to relax women Americans are encouraged to reuse and confined to bed by high-risk pregnancies. recycle, so it’s no surprise that knitters, Whatever their inspiration or motiva- too, are “going green.” More and more tion, knitters are passionate about their hobbyists are seeking out environmentally craft. Some even see in it a larger symbol- friendly products like organic wool yarn, E n g l i s h T E a c h i n g F o r u m | N u m b e r 1 2 0 1 1 39 rescue efforts on behalf of abandoned or abused members of the breed. For knitters who prefer to do their own recycling, various organizations and websites offer instructions on how to unravel wool sweaters, purchased for a few dollars at a thrift store, and reuse the yarn for new projects.