Knitting 101: Familiar East Coast hobby ‘soothes your soul’

For Rhonda Sewell, knitting is a lifeline.

“Over many years, knitting has helped me get through rough times, helped me battle depression, calmed me after the death of loved ones, and brought smiles as I knitted a surprise for someone,” says the knitting enthusiast from East LaHave, N.S.

Since the COVID-19 slowdown, knitting is another one of those hobbies that people have either picked up or come back to, to find comfort and ease stress.

Becky Williams, owner of Becky's Knit & Yarn Shop in Lockeport, N.S. says that since some people have had countless hours with COVID-19 shutdowns and not a lot to occupy their time, they have started to learn to knit.

“I guess when you can take a bunch of sticks and a ball of string-like fibre and create a pair of socks, mittens, a scarf, or whatever your little heart desires, it soothes your soul through all our current heartaches and struggles,” says Williams.

One stitch at a time

Becky Williams, owner of Becky’s Knit and Yarn shop in Lockeport, encourages people to drop by her shop if they have any knitting questions or need help getting started. - SaltWire Network

When asked how they learned how to knit, most talk about the person who taught them. For Newell, it was her Dutch neighbour, Henry, who sat with her, showing her slowly, then giving lots of encouragement.

“So now I knit the European way - backwards,” she says.

Taunya Kinnie-Sheffield, a member of the Knitting Ninnies group in Kentville, N.S. says her father taught her to knit as his mom was an avid knitter. Another group member, Nancy Henry, learned so long ago as a teenager that she can’t remember a time when she didn’t knit, but says she probably learned from her mother.

If a would-be knitter doesn’t have access to someone to teach them, Williams says with access to the Internet, YouTube, and many other sites, the sky's the limit to almost being able to teach yourself. And when in doubt, she says, drop into a yarn store, like her own, for some hands-on help.

Picking projects

When you can take a bunch of sticks and a ball of string-like fibre and create a pair of socks, mittens, a scarf, or whatever your little heart desires, it soothes your soul through all our current heartaches and struggles, says Rhonda Sewell from East LeHave, N.S. - SaltWire Network

When picking a project to start knitting, Williams says to start with a colour that excites you. Then, Sewell says, all you need next is a cheap ball of simple yarn - nothing too bumpy or silky - and some medium-sized needles. She says she gets her needles from consignment stores and Frenchys.

Henry suggests starting with five-millimetre needles and a heavier yarn. On the yarn packaging, it will tell you what needles work best for that weight of yarn. As well, she says, each pattern should have a gauge which tells you what the tension should be for the needles and the yarn.

When starting out, Sewell says it’s important to make sure not to choose a pattern that is too difficult. A simple scarf can be accomplished very easily, says Williams.

Common mistakes made by beginners include knitting too tight, which means you need to work on your tension, says Henry.

Once you have conquered the basic skills, you can knit just about anything.

Sewell has worked with patterns for penguin sweaters, shoes that could be worn by koalas after the forest fires in Australia, and mermaid blankets for children in the hospital. Henry adds that their group has also knit knockers, or cotton mastectomy “boobies” for cancer survivors, and mittens for charity groups.

Overall, Sewell says, knitting is also a lovely way to gather with friends and help each other in your little yarn community.

That’s how the Knitting Ninnies began 10 years ago, she says. Henry invited a few friends over to teach them how to knit socks. They have been meeting every Wednesday morning, from September to June, since then.

“We exchange patterns, needles, yarn and support each other through life,” says Henry.

Prior to COVID-19, Williams used to host weekly knit and yarn gatherings at her shop, but like most other events, it became tricky to do while social distancing.

“Since we have been able to have small events, I have hosted a few gatherings and pop-up shops at the local beach in Lockeport and in Shelburne at the parking lot where the Shelburne Harbour Yacht Club calls home,” says Williams. “There is lots of room to socially distance yourself, but also be a part of a like minded group, and enjoy time spent together.”

This proves, says Williams, that knitting can be done anywhere, anytime, while enjoying the simple pleasures of life Mother Nature has to offer us during these unprecedented times.