Friday, March 2, 2012

IN BARS AND BOOKSTORES, KNITTERS ARE COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET

Most bars have Buffalo Bills parties and happy hours. But atEddie's, a twinkling bar and restaurant on North Buffalo Road inOrchard Park, it's Mohair Night.

At first glance, things seem normal. Men belly up to the bar,with dart boards and pitchers of beer - many relaxing, perhaps,after a game at the adjoining bowling alley. Open a door, though,and strange phrases float up from the downstairs banquet room."First of all, mohair comes from goats..."

This is where the gang is gathering tonight - the knitting gang,that is. Later in the evening, their basement powwow concluded,they'll move up to the bar, where they have wings and beer and workaway at their projects.

Do people giggle at the sight? Sure. Erin Kosich, a petite blondwho owns an Orchard Park yarn shop called Embraceable Ewe, revels inthe curiosity she draws at Eddie's when the bar patrons notice, inthe glow of the neon beer signs, her baskets of knitting supplies."The guys watch me carry the yarn in," she laughs.

But the point is to attract attention.

That's why knitters flaunt bumper stickers like "She Who DiesWith The Most Skeins Wins" and license plates like "LUV 2 KNIT."It's also the reason that the Greater Buffalo Knitting Guild can nowclaim a weekly afternoon at Borders Books, Music and Cafe. EveryWednesday, from 3:30 to about 5 p.m. they're there, near the CDsection, needles flashing.

Knitters want you. Heather Lodinsky, who teaches at the ElmwoodYarn Shop, typifies their evangelism. As Lodinsky, 38, puts it: "Ijust want to make sure I put a few thousand knitters on this earthby the time I go."

She'll be happy to hear that there's one new knitter this week,thanks to the very first Wednesday Borders gathering.

Clare Seaton, a 27-year-old redhead, spotted the knitters' circlein an ad for Borders and stopped by.

Now, just a week later, she is part of the crowd, laboring over afour-inch square under the watchful eye of neighboring knitterShirley Elia. "They sat me down right away," jokes Seaton, who alsoloves cooking, painting and photography. "They're totally patientand kind."

Knitting on the Net

Is this militant knitting a local phenomenon? Nancy J. Thomas, aformer editor of Knitter's magazine and currently editorial directorfor Lion Brand Yarn Co., says it reflects a nationwide trend.

Thomas acknowledges that Buffalo, with its chilly winters, is ahotbed of knitting. "In colder climates, making sweaters, warmaccessories and other such items is very popular," she reflects.

But she stresses that the whole country is caught up in the yarn.

"Knitting has gotten a great deal of media play," she says,proudly, "and many celebrities such as Julia Roberts and CameronDiaz knit."

At Borders, the knitters point out that the chickens in "ChickenRun" knit, too.

Certainly, local knitters are a well-knit group. In the past fewyears, the Knitting Guild of Greater Buffalo has fattened, like abig ball of extra-weight worsted, from 60 to over 160 members.Recently, Lodinsky has had to add an extra class to her weeklyschedule. "It's gotten busier and busier," she gloats.

Thanks to the Internet, wild and woolly opportunities abound. Websites like www.knittersreview.com advertise colorful excursions,including "Knitting in Peru and Bolivia: Easter in the Andes," a two-week "Scottish Skeins and Skerries Tour," and "San Diego UFO(Unfinished Object) Retreat." Rita Walter, the current president ofthe Knitters Guild, took a knitting trip to Scandinavia and is stillwarmed by the memories.

"I learn so much on the Internet," says Macy Lewars, knitting inthe circle at Borders.

Through the Web, Lewars joined a sock knitters' list, which putsa warm, fuzzy spin on the old concept of the chain letter. ForChristmas, the group exchanged miniature socks. "I got eightdifferent socks from all over the country," Lewars says.

Gone are the days when people knitted to save money. Kitting'scurrent popularity could be tied to the Martha Stewart trend ofseeing art in what used to be considered humble chores.

At Borders, Walter flaunts an iridescent scarf of blue, crimsonand violet. The novelty yarns she used, she says, cost $30 a skein.And Lodinsky, the Elmwood Yarn Shop instructor, knitted her weddingdress, an elaborate affair involving 2,200 hand-sewn pearls.

"There's nothing economic about knitting anymore," Lodinsky says."You can certainly go out there and buy a hand-knit sweater for lessthan you'd make it for. People have no problem shelling out $100 or$200 for a sweater. This is something they love to do."

Why do more and more people love it? Lodinsky has a theory. Themore hectic the world gets, she suggests, the more people will knit.

"I think the motion is relaxing," she says. "People feel theyarn. They smell the yarn. It's a very relaxing experience - yet,when they get through, they've got something they can wear or give,something beautiful. It's a very human thing."

"I spoke knitting'

The camaraderie, knitters agree, is a good part of the fun. Ashours slip past at Borders, it's inspiring to watch Walter, who isin her 70s, poring over a pattern with Catherine Whalen, who's 9.And to see Elia, the experienced artisan, critiquing the work ofSeaton, the novice.

Elia laughs as she recalls a trip she took to Rome, Italy.Waiting for her husband on the Spanish Steps, she began to knit.

"By the time he showed up," she exults, "there were 20 womensitting there with me, knitting. My husband asked, "You don't speakItalian. How did you manage?' I said, "I spoke knitting.' "

She grins. "There's something about knitting that creates asisterhood immediately."

Sometimes, knitting creates a brotherhood, too. The entertainingcompany is what attracted Jack Darling, a 34-year-old Orchard Parkfather of three.

On his 27th birthday, Darling threw out his back. He was bored -so when his mother-in-law offered to teach him to knit, he took adeep breath and said yes.

His mother-in-law, it turned out, had ulterior motives. "Shewanted someone to go with her to the Knitting Guild, since my wifedoesn't knit," he admits.

Darling went, and liked it. "Knitting is a great way to breakdown barriers," he says. "People do incredible things. I saw a womando an entire tablecloth in three weeks, a beautiful tablecloth. Anda woman who was visually impaired - she would knit by touch. Sheused the most incredible colors, even though she couldn't see them."

His crowning achievement was a circular shawl based on theprincipal of pi, designed by PBS knitting guru Elizabeth Zimmermann."I made a pi shawl for my mother for her birthday," he says.

Recently, Darling earned his master's degree in library science,and he doesn't have as much time to knit as he used to. He missesthe knitting experience.

"Other than everyone assuming that everyone who knits is female,"he says, "it's just fine."

The man who got away

It's interesting that the Borders group already speaks of Darlingin the past tense. "He was an excellent knitter," Elia sighs. "Thatwas beautiful work that he did."

A wistful note creeps into the conversation. As a man who knits,Darling represents the final recruitment frontier. Asked to namemale knitters, the Borders circle hesitates. There's football playerRosie Greer - but wait, he did needlework. Someone makes tantalizingmention of "what's his name, that British bishop."

Knitters wish more guys would pick up knitting needles.

"I have a prejudice," jokingly admits Lodinsky, the instructor atthe Elmwood Yarn Shop. "I assume when a man walks into the shop,he's there to buy a present for his girlfriend or wife."

One recent male customer, however, was different.

"He says, "Do you offer knitting lessons?'" Lodinsky recalls. "Isaid, "Why, yes, I do.' "

Her voice drops to hushed, awestruck tones. "I asked him, "Areyou interested in learning how to knit?' He said,"Yes.' "

She laughs ruefully, though, recalling what happened next.

"All the ladies in the shop started shouting, "We got one! We gotone! Grab him!' " she says. The gentleman left, and hasn't beenheard from since. "I'm afraid we scared him away."

Ever the crusader, Lodinsky wishes she could encourage the timid,men and women alike. She would tell them, she says: "Don't bescared. I have the feeling half my customers are undiscovered."

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