Inside Northside's June/July 2005 issue

Knitting

by Kimberly Sanders Vanderbrook

You can find them everywhere—in nightclubs, coffeehouses, and even at concerts. Groups of women hard at work knitting. That’s right, knitting. And not just old women, either. In this age of instant-messaging cell phones and 3.2-second computer downloads, hipster twenty- and thirty-somethings are rediscovering this old-fashioned art.

They gather in groups with names like “Stitch and Bitch” and “Hurl and Purl” to commune and knit. Counted among their numbers are celeb knitters Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore and Madonna. Many knitters cite a need to express their artistic side or the urge to simply produce something with their hands as reasons for taking up knitting. “We are living in a technological society and we are not creating anything,” explains one knitter. In a world of instant gratification, more and more women are choosing to engage in a pastime that focuses on process, instead of production. The popularity of knitting can be seen as a technological backlash from the very advanced to the very primitive. It doesn’t get much more simple than creating something with your hands using two sticks and a piece of string.

Other women are taking up knitting to combat stress—it’s the new yoga. Knitters swear that the repetition of knitting results in a calming mantra where the passive release of stray thoughts is possible. Nancy Decuers, the mother of two young sons, took up knitting two years ago to relieve stress. “Knitting is relaxing. I love the feel and colors of the yarn. Of course, with two little boys, it may take me a year to finish a scarf, but it is very relaxing,” she says.

Some have even used knitting to help them quit smoking. After all, it’s impossible to light up with two needles in your hands! The craft’s therapeutic effects are even being used with young Montessori students and elderly Alzheimer patients to induce relaxation and encourage proper organization of brain waves through repetition.

There may even be a political aspect to brandishing the knitting needles. After generations of eschewing traditional women’s pastimes once defined as “women’s work,” young women are taking back these crafts on their own terms. Laura Schwartz has been knitting for about two years and says her boyfriend doesn’t really like her hobby. It may be the granny glasses she wears when she knits or it may just be that men are always a little leery of groups of women holding needles! This new generation of knitters sees knitting as a pathway back to hearth and home and a creative outlet, not necessarily one that conflicts with a power career or punk haircut.

Young girls are taking up knitting, too. Meet Kathryn Copp, a fifth grader at Lake Castle School in Madisonville. She taught herself to knit at Christmas from a how-to book and has been busily knitting dishcloths to sell to earn money for a mission project for her church. In a few short months she also knitted several hats, purses and two ponchos.

Cate Costello, owner of Knitwits in Mandeville’s Northlake Shopping Center, has launched a knitting craze right here on the northshore. As the owner of the only knitting shop north of Lake Pontchartrain, Cate has seen first-hand the resurgence of this beloved craft. She took up knitting more than thirty years ago while living in Europe, where everybody knits. Of course, back then she was limited to plain wool and cotton-blend yarns. Today’s knitters have access to a beautiful array of yarns that their grandmothers couldn’t have even dreamed of. Brilliantly colored silks, angora wools, metallic fibers and mohair textures capture the imagination.

And what are the knitters making with these gorgeous yarns? Their grandmothers couldn’t have dreamed that, either. Knitted bikinis, two-tone socks, the very popular “fat hat” and scarves are all the rage. More advanced knitters work on sweaters and ponchos—some sheer, others two-tone—for a wildly fashionable look. One girl is knitting a cell phone holder, which is perhaps the ultimate statement of irony for today’s knitter, as the new is seamlessly blended with the old.

A visit to Knitwits is a delight. Colorful yarns line the walls, tempting even knitting wanna-bes like myself. Relaxed and laid back, the atmosphere is welcoming to everyone. In the center of the store, groups meet for lessons, or just to sit and knit. Courses are offered for newcomers to the craft, as well as for those wishing to learn advanced techniques. And, of course, you can always stop in just to chat or to get help when faced with a knitting glitch. Knitwits hosts open knitting once a week from 1 to 4 p.m. and is starting a weekly wine night on Wednesdays this summer. Hope to see you there!