Students pick up yarn, needles in knitting trend

When junior Katie Ames visited her grandparents in North Dakota last summer, she knew exactly what would help her pass time in a state not known for exciting nightlife. She, of course, brought along some yarn and her trusty needle.\n"I kind of crocheted the entire time I was there," Ames said.\nThere's something about knitting. Some like the calming repetition of a needle pulling thread back and forth in a set pattern. Others enjoy watching long strands of yarn methodically become a scarf or sweater -- or something in between if the knitter is somewhat unskilled. But no matter why it's liked, the hobby's popularity is increasing, especially among young adults.\nThe number of knitters and crocheters younger than 35 has increased 400 percent since 1998, according to the Craft Yarn Council of America, the industry's trade association.\nSuzanne Halvorson, owner of Yarns Unlimited, 100 Fountain Square, said she has noticed the trend, as the volume of sales and attendance in classes at the store have increased. And she has seen more people wearing knitwear in fashion magazines and in public.\n"The main reason I know it's becoming more popular, though, is that almost once a week I see something about knitting in the cartoons in the paper," Halvorson said. "When it starts showing up in the comic strips, you know it's become popular."\nThe national numbers are substantial. Thirty-eight million knitters and crocheters reside in the United States, according to the Craft Yarn Council. Some notable knitters include Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, Hilary Swank and Sarah Jessica Parker, according to Prevention Magazine.\nLearning to knit and crochet isn't difficult, but it does take time and practice. Crocheting requires one needle and is ideal for blankets, scarves and other basic items. Knitting, which uses two needles, is good for hats, sweaters and more difficult items.\nSenior Jody Blythe said learning to knit was frustrating, but she eventually got the hang of it after a resident assistant in her residence hall worked with her one-on-one.\nClasses and knitting circles can be helpful to those without the luxury of a friend who knits. Yarns Unlimited organizes $50 beginner and $45 intermediate classes. The beginning class focuses on fundamentals and teaches students how to make a scarf. \nHalvorson said about 50 people are enrolled in the classes. About 20 percent are IU students, and 20 percent of her customers are men, she said. \n"There is no longer a stigma that it is something only for women," Halvorson said. "When there were times of crisis in the past, women would come together for a quilting bee. Now men and women come and gather here together."\nBlythe, a resident assistant at Forest Quad, recently brought 23 students to the store for a program. The residents of her floor became interested in knitting after watching her craft Christmas gifts.\n"I saved a lot of money when Christmas came around," Blythe said. "I would spend like $10 on the yarn to make a Christmas gift everyone enjoyed."\nKnitting does have its drawbacks -- yarn isn't cheap. Enough yarn to make a scarf can cost from $5 to $35. Enough to make a sweater can range from $35 to more than $100. \nBut the benefits can outweigh the expenses.\nKnitting is good for students because it's therapeutic, relieves stress and lowers blood pressure, Halvorson said. 62 percent of current knitters and crocheters say it helps relieve stress, according to the Craft Yarn Council. A buzz word in the knitting and crocheting world equates the pastimes to "active meditation."\nSenior Katie Bowman, who taught herself how to knit in two weeks with the help of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Knitting and Crocheting," said knitting is relaxing and a hobby a person can take anywhere. \n"I think it's so neat that our generation is knitting," Bowman said.