A few knitters sat among the books exchanging ideas and techniques with each other while listening to jazz artist Thelonious Monk, who himself often sported a wool-knit cap.
While knitting Wednesday night at the USM Bookstore in Portland, the participants discussed election results, local craft shops and joked about the University’s wordy job titles.
Barbara Kelly, tradebook and software manager for USM Bookstores, was responsible for putting the circle together. Some of her friends in the USM community encouraged Kelly to start a knitting group.
According to Kelly and the others knitters in the circle, everyone, regardless of skill level, will get hung up on something in the long process of producing a hand-knit product. Circles like this can help knitters get through those hang-ups and are a learning experience for everyone.
“There’s different styles of knitting,” said Kelly, “It’s kind of fun to see how everyone else is doing it.”
With this in mind, Kelly put up a notice to see if there was any interest on campus.
“On a whim I put it on the Listserv expecting six or seven, but I got over 20 responses,” she said.
Many of the respondents were very interested but unable to make the first meeting. Kelly expects a larger turnout next week.
“The response was great,” said Kelly.
Kelly sees the circle as a way to meet other people in the community who come from different backgrounds and all have different talents.
“There’s people you talk to on the phone but you never see their face,” she said. “It’s good to just meet people.”
One learns a few quick lessons when sitting in on a knitting circle. First, if you ask a question and there’s no response it’s because a knitter is counting. They count the stitches, knit and purl, in a row, which creates the uniqueness of a hand-knit product. Their counting must be accurate throughout.
“If [the counting] is off, you get one of those sweaters with one long arm or the neck’s too tight,” said Kelly.
Secondly, don’t ask any of them if they use knitting machines. It’s like asking a jazz major if he or she listens to Kenny G. “No” was the quick response from all the knitters present.
“What’s the craft in that?” asked Colleen White, acting associate director of the USM Bookstores and long-time friend of Kelly’s.
“People do it now more for enjoyment,” said Marilyn MacDowell, a library assistant who works in Portland and Gorham.
The four ladies present were crafting a variety of projects. White worked on a cardigan tunic for her daughter, though she said the last one she made is worn only once a year.
Kelly knitted a sweater from a 1958 pattern – an Aran design created by Elizabeth Zimmerman, one of the world’s first famous knitters.
MacDowell was working on a vest for her mother and Rose Lannon, the new records technician in Financial Aid, began crocheting a blanket.
Kelly and the others encourage knitters and crafters of all levels to attend this week’s circle Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Staff Writer Tyler Stanley can be contacted at: [email protected]