Ilene Markell, 40, sits behind Lang, discussing her trip the following day to New York and whether she should take her knitting project--a baby blanket--on the plane.
Before Sept. 11, it was a no-brainer. Nothing wiles away the hours on an airplane like a knitting project.
But if hijackers could take control of four commercial airplanes using something as innocuous as box cutters, could knitting needles become weapons? It's been a hot topic in knitting circles and chat rooms on the Internet as knitters debate whether needles--even those made of bamboo--could be used as weapons. Knitting needles and crochet hooks have been banned and confiscated from carry-on luggage.
Welcome to knitting in the new millennium where:
- Knitters around the world meet in cyberspace to discuss their craft and swap patterns.
- Fashion designers blend hand-knitted sweaters and scarves in hearty, hand-dyed colors into to their couture lines.
- Celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz and Daryl Hannah champion the craft and spur a new generation of knitters.
The hobby has shed its mothball stereotype. Knitters and crocheters organize knit-in meetings in coffee shops, bookstores and other trendy hangouts to knit or crochet, show off their latest project, ask advice or just socialize.
And novice knitters and crocheters are joining the fold.
Knitting begins with two needles and a ball of yarn. Through a series of loops alternating on the needles, a pattern is created. Crocheting, a cousin to knitting, uses one needle with a hook at the end. The yarn is passed through loops called chains using the hook.
Some people prefer knitting for its uniformity and thinner stitches, particularly for sweaters or baby clothes, but there are more crocheters in the United States, according to the Craft Yarn Council of America.
Many who enjoy yarn crafts know how to do both. Enthusiasts say their hobby rivals yoga, scented candles, even a warm bath as a stress reliever.
Betsy Moseley, 52, began knitting when she was 9. She's knitted through countless soccer games, dental appointments and dance recitals. "I take it with me to the gym and knit while I'm on the exercise bike," said Moseley, who lives in Germantown. "It's very calming and I've just always loved to do it. When I'm knitting, I don't mind waiting."
Moseley was learning to weave a thread into a stitch at the monthly Memphis Knitting Guild meeting. The group of 50 or so meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the White Station branch library.
Next to her, Nancy Newton, 23, was practicing the basic knit stitch. She saw the sweaters and blankets and scarves on display at the recent Mid-South Fair and decided she wanted to learn. "My boyfriend hunts a lot, so I have free time," said Newton, who drove from Jackson, Tenn., to attend the meeting.
Nearly 38 million women or more than 1 in 3 in the United States know how to knit or crochet, according to the Craft Yarn Council. That's up from 34.7 million women in 1994, according to the study conducted in the fall of 2000 by Research Inc. of Atlanta.
There are men who knit and crochet, but it's overwhelmingly a woman's hobby, said Mary Colucci, communications director for the council, a New York-based trade group. Relaxation was the primary motivation given for knitting or crocheting. Those younger than 35 made up the largest number of new crocheters and knitters.
New knitters wander in almost daily at Yarn to Go, a store in Memphis. People bring in their projects and sit around a table, asking opinions and getting advice from longtime knitters. Word of mouth brings former knitters into the store. Many are eager to make those trendy, fuzzy, fluffy scarves with a delicate yarn called eyelash.
"People come in every day wanting to see the eyelash yarn," said store owner Elizabeth Crockett. The eyelash scarves have been selling at one area store for $250. Knitters can make similar scarves for around $40.
Yarn to Go is the only yarn store in the Memphis area, according to local knitters. Other craft stores offer some varieties of yarn. There were six in 1984, said Peggy Miller, who used to own one. "One by one they all closed because all our knitters were either being buried or sent to nursing homes," said Miller. "The last one closed in 1996. We didn't have one for five years."
\ She believes the craft has experienced a revival thanks to the interest shown by Hollywood celebrities. Also, there's greater access to better quality yarns. Chunky mohair or hand-dyed woolly feathers in rich colors such as auburn, rust, and crimson can be knitted into expensive-looking scarves. Yarns available now are smooth and silky to the skin, not the itchy, irritating yarn your grandmother may have used.
Several resources for knitters and crocheters are on the Internet. The knitting Web site on About.com offers details on the basics of knitting and lots of free patterns: www.knitting.about.com. It offers the same for crocheting at www.crochet.about.com.
Another source is the Craft Yarn Council of America, www.craftyarncouncil.com, which offers information on basics of the craft, patterns and links to other sites
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)
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