Nifty Northwest knitters

Fun with friends.

That’s what most knitters say they like best about their hobby.

This is especially evident when walking into any of three locally-owned yarn shops.

Large tables, much like a family dining table (some are, in fact, actual dinner tables!), dominate the space with knitters from all over town gathered around sharing laughter, gossip and tips.

“People that knit tend to be ... like I’ve never seen a mean, dishonest knitter,” said Rosedale resident Mary Neumann.

Neumann and her friends Ginny Ross and Cheryl Navarre like to knit at ABC’s of Creative Pursuits in downtown Bakersfield. They also gather at each others’ homes to sell off completed projects to offset some of their material expenses.

“Everybody gets excited. Like we’re all excited that she (Navarre) found this yarn and it’s beautiful and she got a deal,” Neumann said.

Ross says their knit-and-gossip sessions are akin to the Las Vegas commercial campaign.

“What happens in the yarn shop, stays in the yarn shop,” she said.

By all accounts, knitting is not an art being lost with the older generation, either.

Paige Kanady, 20, a Cal State Bakersfield student loves to crochet and knit.

Her current project is a pair of cabled wrist warmers which required learning how to use double-pointed needles for the first time.

“I think if I didn’t come in here (ABC’s of Creative Pursuits), I wouldn’t challenge myself to do more complicated things,” she said.

As a young person, Kanady is not alone in her hobby. In studies commissioned by Craft Yarn Council of America, participation in yarn crafts by those ages 25 to 34 has increased more than 150 percent; the 18-and-under age group has increased 100 percent since 2002.

Neumann is an art teacher at East Bakersfield High School and teaches the kids in her classes to knit.

“They choose — either I teach them regular art through painting and drawing and that kind of stuff, or I teach them the same thing using knitting,” Neumann said.

As part of their list of projects they complete a blanket for The Painted Turtle, a camp near Lake Hughes serving chronically ill children and offering a summer camp experience that they would not otherwise get. Each child who attends the camp goes home with a blanket.

Still, knitting remains popular among the older generation, but any one of them will tell you that they love to see young people knit.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Nancy Sigman, 63. “It was kind of a dying craft for about 30 years.”

Sigman is a member of the Grandmothers Club at Classy Knits and Yarns in downtown Bakersfield, a group that also includes mothers, aunts, and anyone interested in knitting clothing for little ones. The club meets at the shop on Tuesday nights to make young children’s apparel.

Sigman’s current project is a patterned sweater for her 6-year-old granddaughter.
A Bakersfield transplant, joining the club has been a way to meet new friends for Sigman.

Knitting has also become popular among the celebrities in Hollywood.

Julia Roberts, Vanna White, Cameron Diaz, Sarah Jessica Parker, Daryl Hannah and Hilary Swank reportedly count knitting as among their favorite hobbies, according to the Craft Yarn Council of America.

Additionally, starlets grace the pages of the books, “Celebrity Scarves” and “Celebrity Scarves 2” the proceeds of which go to breast cancer research.

“It really got popular among the young people when the celebrities started doing it on set (of movies),” said Jody Watson who is also a member of the Grandmothers Club, even though she doesn’t yet have any grandchildren.

“I wanted to learn how to knit so when I do become a grandma, I’m ready,” Watson said.

Knitting instructor Marlene Donahue thinks the increased interest in knitting is partially because of an improvement in yarn quality.

“Nowadays, there’s so many patterns and yarns that are beautiful and available through the Internet,” she said. “In countries where knitting is more traditional, like England and Ireland, we now have access to their yarn here that we didn’t have before.”

Donahue teaches knitting at Michael’s Arts and Crafts in Northwest Bakersfield.

“I get people from all ages. I have taught from 8 years old to maybe the oldest person I have taught is 50 years old or something,” she said. “You get grandmas that want to knit for their grandchildren, teachers that want to knit for the kids in their classroom or a little boy that just wants to make a scarf.”

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Knitting Resources
You can learn to knit too, here are some of the classes offered around town:

ABC’s of Creative Pursuits
Location:1412 17th St., Suite E. Inside the Haberfelde Building.
Call: 323-4450
• Knitting and crochet lessons, $5 with purchase or $10 without purchase.
• Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon. However, there is usually someone at the shop any day of the week who can help, depending on how busy the store is.

Bead and Yarn Studio
Location: 7701 White Lane, Suite B
Call: 827-9660
• No specific dates or times for lessons. If you buy yarn there, someone will help you out with the basics.
• If you are going as a group, let them know ahead of time so enough staff will be available to teach.

Classy Knits and Yarns
Location: 1839 F St.
Call: 325-7226
• General lessons or help on projects, $5 with purchase or $10 without.
• Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday evenings from 4 to 6:30 p.m., or Saturdays from 10:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m.
• Lace knitting on Jan. 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Grandmothers Club, meets Tuesday evenings from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. $20 per year. Members get 15 percent off yarn for club projects and free help on any project.

Michael’s Arts and Crafts in Northwest Bakersfield
Location: 9350 Rosedale Highway
Call: 587-5334
• Knitting for Beginners 1 and 2 on Jan. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m., $15, materials not included.
• Sit and Knit on Jan. 21 from 4 to 6 p.m., $5, materials not included.
• Intermediate Knitting, on Jan. 24 from 10 to 11 a.m. and from 6 to 7 p.m. $10, materials not included.