By SAM PAINE
Local knitters gathered at Mudgee Library on Tuesday for World Wide Knit in Public Week, to keep the craft alive and in the public eye.
“We don’t want knitting to be lost as an art form,” said Robyn Northam.
She said local knitters were happy to introduce newcomers to the art of knitting and crocheting, as they worried that young people were less interested and the skills could be lost.
However, the group said interest came and went as trends and new fibres brought about a “knitting resurgence”.
They said it was now an interesting time to be knitting, with fibres available including not just wool and silk, but alpaca and even possum.
“There’s such a beautiful variety of yarns and wool out there,” said Lorraine Mencinsky.
There are also a huge range of free patterns available online.
“People still enjoy knitting and crocheting and producing things,” said Barbara Gow.
“It’s relaxing and you end up with a nice product at the end.”
“It’s an activity that you can either do on your own or in a group and it’s very portable,” said Lorraine Mencinsky.
Barbara Gow said she always took her knitting to the doctor’s waiting room, and Lorraine Mencinsky said when she lived in the city she took her knitting along on every train ride.
The Mudgee branch of the Knitters Guild of Australia meets to knit at the library on the first Tuesday of every month, and in the CWA rooms from 1pm on the third Saturday of every month, including this coming Saturday.
“It’s very good for your mental health,” said Lorraine Mencinsky. “It’s very meditative.”
The ladies emphasised that knitting was not only women’s work, and even noted that men were often better knitters, theorising that “they probably concentrate more because they can only do one thing at a time”.