Look who's knitting: It isn't your grandma
azcentral - March 30 2006
Lexi Hyman learned to knit in elementary school by making outfits for her Barbie dolls. By middle school, she had outgrown Barbie and knitting.
But the 23-year-old Alaska native rediscovered her childhood hobby the knitting, not Barbie -- three years ago during a particularly dull winter break from college. She spotted some yarn in her mother's sewing basket and decided to knit a sweater. That project led to another, and soon she was knitting again.
"I go through phases sometimes where I knit all day, every day," she said. "It's addicting."
Hyman is one of a growing number of women - and a few men in their 20s and 30s who are redefining what has long been considered a hobby for grandmothers. They knit in college classes, during work breaks and on the subway. They buy "designer yarns" made of cashmere, chenille or mohair in colors like lime green, hot pink and black. They create hats and handbags, scarves and tank tops, and even skimpy bikinis. Already the trend has led to a flurry of books, patterns and designer yarn marketed to a younger, edgier generation of knitters. [more]
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