by Lisa Cocchia

The once old-fashioned art form of knitting has gained new momentum over the past five years, with the knitting “bug” catching hold of women, men, teens, and tweens all over the Lehigh Valley.

The latest reincarnation of the knitting trend centers around the social opportunities it affords. Not unlike quilting and other handcrafts, knitting creates a sense of community among individuals sharing a common interest.

“Knitting is big,” says Rose Ackerman, Director of the Baum School of Art in Allentown, adding that knitting groups offer people a chance to form “close, intimate circles where people can get together to talk about anything and everything going on in their lives.”

The number of women knitters between the ages of 25 and 35 increased 150% between 2002 and 2004 according to the Craft Yarn Council of America, showing that knitting is regaining momentum as a fashionable craft as its focus on community and creativity creates a peaceful place in the middle of hectic work and home lives.

The knitting trend is evident in the Lehigh Valley with the opening of knitting and yarn stores in places like Nazareth, Allentown, and Bethlehem, all offering unique yarns, educational books, patterns, and classes for group instruction.

The Knitter’s Edge in Bethlehem offers knitting and crocheting classes for knitters of all skill levels for as little as $6 per week for two-hour classes. Among the number of classes available are General Knitting, the Galway Shawl, Knit & Crochet, and Knitting for Kids, and free classes are offered for charity knitters, or crafters who wish to donate their works to a worthy cause.

Kraemer Yarns in Nazareth spins dozens of natural and synthetic yarns and provides them to craft and yarn shops across the nation, in addition to selling them on-site at the old textile factory location. Along with original yarns, Kraemer carries a full line of hooks and needles, patterns, and virtually any knitting gadget available.

Kraemer yarns vary in thickness, color, and wool blends, lending themselves to different projects and purposes. The Mauch Chunky yarn is woven with 60% New Zealand wool and 40% domestic wool, and its textured, colorful look is perfect for winter weather clothing and accessories.  With patterns for mittens, hats, sweaters, scarves, and ponchos available for free on Kraemeryarns.com, knitters can peruse for project ideas and order yarns online, or visit the Kraemer Yarn Shop to see samples up close.

Allentown’s oldest yarn shop is Tucker’s Yarn Company, which carries yarns for embroidery, knitting, needlepoint, and crocheting, along with patterns—known as “notions”—to inspire crafting ideas.

Bethlehem’s Tangled Yarns is a quaint yarn shop with a wide selection of beautiful specialty yarns for scarves and sweaters, and its knowledgeable staff can help you select the materials to bring your next project to life.

Another popular byproduct of the knitting renaissance is the knitter’s blog—a virtual haven for knitting stories, patterns, and project ideas. An extension of the class community, knitting sites like Raverly.com offer members a user-friendly blog to organize their projects, get the latest crafting ideas, and connect with people across the nation over their love for this quirky skill.

Ackerman notes that the knitting circle seems to provide a fulfilling outlet for women and men seeking a setting in which they can share their stories, news, and creative endeavors with peers and community members. She says the free-flowing learning environment of a knitting group seems to “fill a void in many people’s lives by bringing people together” in pursuit of a common goal.

All it takes is a set of needles and a ball of yarn; after that, the skills are easy enough to learn. The basic techniques of knitting and purling only take one or two lessons to master, and from then on the knitting “bug” takes over as you learn about new techniques, patterns, yarns, and classes. It’s never too early or too late to start, and the recreational attitude knitters take means making mistakes is not only acceptable, but a necessary part of the creative process. If you’re looking for a new way to get involved in the community or revive an old interest, it may be time to get the ball (of yarn) rolling.