by Erin Doherty

Created on: November 05, 2009

Knitting has enjoyed periods of popularity in the last two decades and is currently quite popular in the United States, especially among younger people. The number of local yarn stores, available yarn types, and knitting guilds has increased dramatically in the last ten years. In general, the popularity of knitting can be tied to the popularity of crafting, but knitting has several qualities that make it an interesting and productive hobby.

The process of knitting produces fabric that is ideal for useful household and personal items. Rugs, table runners, coasters, sweaters, hats, scarves, and many other items can be produced by knitting. This feature makes knitting more utilitarian than most other crafts, including needlework, scrapbooking, and tole painting, which produce items that are mainly decorative in nature.

Learning to knit and purl is just the beginning. Most knitters continue to learn throughout their lives. For more adventurous knitters, pattern customization and garment design require an additional set of skills. Resizing an existing pattern requires math skills to maintain the correct proportions. Successfully substituting one yarn for another requires basic knowledge of yarn construction, fiber properties, and fabric drape. Designing a new item requires knowledge of pattern writing, garment construction, color theory, and sizing as well as all of the other skills. Some knitters also learn to process fiber and spin yarn to further customize their knitting.

The finished items themselves are a good reason for the popularity of knitting. The possibility of customization allows knitters to make items that are unavailable in stores. Depending on the quality of the yarn and the skill of the knitter, the finished items are also higher quality than store-bought items. Knitted items also make excellent gifts. If only the yarn costs are taken into account, handmade gifts are significantly less expensive than purchasing a similar item.

Knitting can be an inexpensive hobby compared to other crafting hobbies. In general, all one needs is a set of needles and yarn. Synthetic yarn is machine washable and inexpensive enough for most hobbyists and needles do not need to be replaced under normal circumstances. More advanced knitters tend to spend more on specialty yarn and a plethora of accessories, but this is optional.

Finally, knitting is an excellent social hobby. Most knitters are able to knit and socialize at local yarn stores, sporting events, and restaurants. This provides a strong community of people from a variety of backgrounds who value crafting, design, and productivity.

The popularity of knitting can be directly tied to its benefits. Knitting produces useful items and allows the knitter to continue learning and developing additional skills in a social environment.

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