Knitting: The Art Of Knitting And Leisure Practices

A leisure activity is any activity chosen for pleasure, relaxation, or other emotional satisfaction, typically something one would participate in during free time. The leisure activity I have chosen to partake in is knitting. My great-grandmother was an excellent knitter and would make my whole family scarves and dishcloths when she was alive. She would give them out as Christmas presents, so I want to carry on her tradition. Knitting is a relaxing and simple task, so it is a great way for me to occupy my spare time and escape the stresses of work and school. Knitting, using the term loosely, has been around for centuries. I use the term loosely because the oldest known items of knitted fabric are from the 3rd to 5th century when the

Some viewed it as out-of-date while others agreed with the Victorian women. The state of the economy was one of the factors that influenced whether knitting was accepted or rejected. For example, as a way to earn money during the Great Depression, many women resorted to knitting (McIntosh 37). Similar to how families would knit socks, sweaters, and hats for Scottish fishermen in the late Middle Ages, Americans would do this for soldiers during times of war (McIntosh 37). In addition, knitting was viewed as therapeutic and thus soldiers were encouraged to knit when they arrived home (McIntosh 37).
Today and throughout the 21st century, knitting has become a widely accepted and trendy pastime, especially among young women. I know several new mothers who have taken up knitting as a hobby to escape from their household and childcare duties. There are several opportunities to learn how to knit for those interested. Some examples are: many community centers and yarn shops offer classes, there are books on knitting techniques, one can learn from a friend, and my personal favorite, video tutorials on the

Needles are most commonly made from metal, wood, bamboo, or plastic (McIntosh 43). Needles also come in various sizes, including length and diameter. The diameter determines the size of the stitch and the length is important for the size of the project (McIntosh 43). McIntosh provides the example that you use a larger diameter needle for larger stitches and longer needles for large projects, like shawls (43). Furthermore, needles are available in three different styles and the style that you use is normally based on personal preference. The first two styles are very similar in that they have slender shafts intended to “hold the stitches that are not yet woven into the knitted fabric to prevent them from unraveling” (McIntosh 43). The only difference between these two is that the first, and most popular, style are pointed at one end and have knobs on the other, whereas the second are pointed on both ends. The third style of needles – known as circular knitting needles – have two pointed ends “connected by a flexible cord that holds the unworked stitches” (McIntosh 43). The knob on the first style of needles is meant to keep stiches from sneaking off the needle. The purpose of the pointed end is to create new stitches, which is why it can be found on all three styles. In order to create new stitches, the knitter “insert[s] the tapered end of one needle through