Knitting News

Sacred Knitting Circle offers comfort, solace | Newark Advocate

Sacred Knitting Circle offers comfort, solace
Newark Advocate - October 29 2005

In the West Parlor, a small room in the First Baptist Church of Granville, there are a few rocking chairs and couches. It is not uncommon to see women sitting there knitting and chatting.
In fact, since the Sacred Knitting Circle began in May, it's a common occurrence from noon to 2 p.m. every Thursday.
Recently Patti Burkett, Barbara Lucier and Barbara Rush happily knitted to their hearts' content as they exchanged stories about the people they were knitting for. The shawls they finish are of various colors, and extend to 57 inches and more than 2 feet wide. The soft woolen fibers give a sense of warmth and comfort to the shawls, which can be used for a number of purposes. Recipients of the shawl can range from someone who's sick to someone who's celebrating. [more]

Knitting a tapestry of prayer | The Decatur Daily

Knitting a tapestry of prayer
The Decatur Daily - October 29 2005

Last weekend our family stayed in the home of a friend in Orange Beach. It was hard to miss the basketful of colorful yarns and plush, hand-knit shawls draped over the couch and chair.
She told us the story of a new passion in her life — knitting prayer shawls. Her church had been doing hurricane relief since Hurricane Ivan hit. Just as they were winding that effort down, Hurricane Katrina approached.
Weary of the pain and suffering caused by this barrage of hurricanes, she had an idea. Before they evacuated, she would learn to knit her prayers. She hurriedly bought some beautiful colors of yarn and stopped by an elderly friend's home for a crash course in knitting. [more]

Her story's already quite a yarn | Hampton Roads Daily Press

Her story's already quite a yarn
Hampton Roads Daily Press - October 28 2005

She has a memorable name; slim, good looks; talent; and a youthful head start toward making the big leagues - in dance, acting or designing specialty clothing.
At only 13, Phoenix Bess is a triple threat coming from Mathews County, where she lives with her parents and two brothers.
She dances with the American Youth Ballet Company in Williamsburg, is an extra in the soon-to-be-released movie "The New World" and has her own line of specialty knitwear.
Phoenix calls the line "Knitty Girl." Items can be viewed and purchased on her Web site - www.knittygirl.com - and will soon be available in several upscale local boutiques. [more]

Abington seniors knitting scarves for Afghanistan | The Enterprise

Abington seniors knitting scarves for Afghanistan
The Enterprise - October 28 2005

During World War II, Adele Dombrowski worked in the garment industry making uniforms and coats for soldiers and seabags for sailors.
Now, she is knitting scarves for the troops serving in Afghanistan.
"For the grandmas, this is our way of supporting our troops," Dombrowski said. "This is our way of saying, 'We grandmas do care.' "
Dombrowski joined fellow seniors Janice King and Eileen Maraget in answering the call of the Abington Rotary Club to knit scarves for the troops in Afghanistan.
The effort is just one led by Raiza Jan — a native of Afghanistan, a Duxbury businesswoman and president of the Duxbury Rotary Club — who has enlisted the help of other Rotarians.
The Abington Rotary Club, through President Harold Sims, responded first to the Shoe-Fly Project, donating shoes and clothing for orphaned children of Afghanistan. More recently, he went to the Abington Council on Aging to find knitters. [more]

Cold comfort | Portland Tribune

Cold comfort (via In The Loop)
Portland Tribune - October 25 2005

Zen Parry used to work for a living, but she’s all right now.
Through October, the artist is crocheting in the lobby of the Portland Building, where city and county employees work, in a space dedicated to public art. In this 8-foot-by-10-foot cubbyhole, many have come and gone since 1994, but no artist has ever installed herself with her work and made what she does a performance.
...Her idea, hatched a year before, was to create a security blanket that has no warmth, as a metaphor for the unfulfilling job.
On her second day, she sits at her chair, with one other chair for visitors.
A young bicycle messenger stands and watches, looking like he’s on the verge of commenting.
“Do you understand the metaphor?” Parry asks, without introduction.
“Uh, no.”
She launches in. “It’s about how the security blanket of work doesn’t provide any real warmth.”
This is useful: art that comes with an instant interpretation. The two of them get into a quick back-and-forth about why the messenger doesn’t become an artist (he has no savings), and that’s that. [more]

The itch to stitch | MetroWest Daily News

The itch to stitch
MetroWest Daily News - October 28 2005

Knitting is everywhere these days. Craft stores brim with yarns, tools and how-to books. Colleges and community education programs offer beginning knitting classes. Women's general interest magazines are even including knitting patterns in regular issues.
Is this simply a trend or is this old-fashioned handiwork becoming mainstream?
...According to Jean Holtey of In Stitches/The Threaded Needle in Weston, knitting has experienced waves of popularity throughout the past decades.
"These sort of trends are closely related to ready-to-wear. If there are a lot of knits on the runway, it carries over," she said.
The most recent knitting trend began with the scarf craze of winter 2003. Hollywood actresses to college students to housewives were picking up needles to make the hottest fashion accessory of the season. The scarf trend continued through winter 2004 though not with the frenzy of the previous year, said Holtey.
Nonetheless, the availability of knitting lessons and yarn shops indicates the popularity of knitting continues.
A driving force behind the current trend in knitting is the yarn. Today's knitters want to work with luxurious fibers. Baby alpaca, Peruvian wool, creamy cashmere and wispy mohair are readily available in yarn shops and through online distributors. [more]

New Preston Knitter Heads for Hats | Litchfield County Times

New Preston Knitter Heads for Hats
Litchfield County Times - October 27 2005

Cathy Carron, author of the freshly-published book "Hip Knit Hats," might be viewed as a lifestyle therapist, especially when she offers the message that "knitting makes you slow down a little bit," and says, "You have to be a little bit meditative." [more]

Read the whole article to get some interesting information about her upcoming book, Our Boys Need Sox.

Made to Order Bags, Giving Knitters what they want with Style | The Open Press

Made to Order Bags, Giving Knitters what they want with Style (News Release)
The Open Press - Free Press Release Newswire - October 25 2005

Knitting as a hobby has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years with celebrities being the most noticeable converts to the craft. Madonna and Julie Roberts picked up the needles in the last few years and Katie Holmes just professed to be learning the art after her and fiancé Tom Cruise announced they were expecting a child.
“Knitting isn’t just for little old ladies sitting in rocking chairs. People are on the go and offering one style of knitting bag that meets everyone's needs is just not possible, so giving people options is my online company’s little niche".
Offering crafters the ability to design their own bag has set the business apart from others. All Catrun Creation’s bags are currently made to order so it satisfies a crafter's need for the unique and gives them the opportunity to put their own personality into their bags. [more]

Get closer to stardom with knitting guru | Chicago Sun-Times

Get closer to stardom with knitting guru
Chicago Sun-Times - October 25 2005

In Hollywood, out-of-control partying is so 2004. Apparently, what is cool these days is parking oneself with a ball of yarn and knitting needles.
Out Nov. 1 is Mother of Purl: Friends, Fun and Fabulous Designs at Hollywood's Knitting Circle (HarperCollins, $19.95) from Edith Eig, Los Angeles' "knitting guru to the stars." Eig, who's become a celebrity solely for her dealings with celebrities, gives real-world readers the same tips she shares with former "Sex and the City" star Kristin Davis and pre-teen It Girl Dakota Fanning. [more]

Yarn Affair Unveils Income, Mentoring Opportunities for Knitters and Crocheters | i-Newswire

Yarn Affair Unveils Income, Mentoring Opportunities for Knitters and Crocheters (News Release)
i-Newswire - October 25 2005

Yarn Affair, a new direct selling organization that serves knitters and crocheters across North America, has unveiled its business opportunity to its future independent consultants. Details of the opportunity may now be found in the F.A.Q. section of the Yarn Affair website, at www.yarnaffair.com.
Knitters and crocheters who become independent consultants of Yarn Affair will get the chance to earn income in the yarn industry without incurring the big expenses of opening up a yarn store.
Yarn Affair's independent consultants do not have to buy inventory from the company, recruit other consultants, or perform many of the other unpleasantries often associated with direct selling.
Yarn Affair was co-founded by a career librarian and veteran knitter and her brother, an experienced consumer products distribution executive. The two recognized that knitters and crocheters that want to generate earnings from knitting and crocheting have limited choices. The best understood choice is to open a yarn store, a proposition that entails significant upfront costs.
To create a better option, the company conducted interviews with knitters and crocheters to determine their opinions on knitting groups, yarn stores, and knitting classes. The result is a carefully crafted application of a modified direct selling model to the yarn industry. [more]