A visit to ukhandknitting.com, the website for the British Hand Knitting Confederation’s promotional arm, provides ample evidence that knitting and crochet are hot trends and that increasing numbers of people are learning how to knit-one-purl -one.

This time around it isn’t just the hand crafted end result that has the pulling power but the entire process of knitting, the stress busting, satisfying experience that has put it into the realms of performance art.

The ‘A’ list celebrities who have been spotted with their pins, from Russell Crow and Julia Roberts to Madonna and Gerry Haliwell, reads like a who’s who of the knitting fraternity.

At the launch of the BHKC’s UK Hand Knitting initiative 3 yrs ago, the objectives were to raise the profile of knitting and dust down the dated image.  The initial campaign focused on the association with the glamorous image of the Hollywood set who were embracing their newly discovered yarn craft skills with true commitment and devotion.  Proudly showing off to the world their loving, caring side as a homemaker, the era of the domestic goddess dawned and consequently another good reason to knit.

In the wake of this new-born domesticity, knitting groups are springing up everywhere and we wanted to aid this development by creating a website as a point of contact for lone knitters seeking information on every aspect of knitting from basic techniques to major knitting events.  Knitting is fast becoming a very sociable activity and boys and girls from the Castoff group were amongst the first to meet up and knit in pubs and clubs.  The beauty of knitting is that it is easily transported and for many it has become a constant companion. Castoff made this point beautifully by travel en-mass on London’s Circle Line teaching passengers to knit as they travelled between stops!

Groups are springing up everywhere and their memberships are rocketing.  Hand Knitting UK is one such group that started as a simple desire for 2 or 3 knitting friends to meet in a central location to knit and natter.  The chosen venue was the Art Café at Liberty’s and on several Thursday evenings of every month between 5 and 8pm you will find a growing band of very  happy people exchanging ideas and techniques, swapping tips and patterns and catching up on each other’s news.  This informal group is a real highlight on yarn crafter’s social calendars throughout the capital with as many as 30 popping in for an hour or two.

Many of these knitting enthusiasts give their time generously to the BHKC sponsored ‘Relax and Knit’ events held at creative craft shows with the support of ICHF and Creative Exhibitions.  The BHKC provides a professional knitting consultant and stages an enticing display of yarns and all necessary equipment for the volunteers to pass on their knitting and crochet skills to visitors who would like to learn.  Newcomers of all ages have learnt to knit and crochet at these friendly venues and it is both refreshing and encouraging to find so many young people determined to master the art of knitting. Often this has been influenced by articles they have read about celebrities who have been snapped knitting in newspapers and magazines.  In the absence of mothers and grandmothers teaching these skills to their offspring and scarcely seen on the school curriculum, the BHKC have taken on the task of providing yarns, needles and a knitting consultant at many shows around the country and consequently thousands of people have been discovering the joys of knitting for the very first time.  The jubilant faces of new recruits to yarn crafts, showing off their first few rows, is the catalyst for all the volunteers who give so generously of their time to come and pass on their skills at so many Relax and Knits throughout the country.         

As with all campaigns, every angle is explored and many other initiatives are providing added razzamatazz for yarn crafts.  BHKC sponsored award schemes and competitions were created to provide the much needed platform for knitting to be shown in all it’s guises.

The Knitted Textile Student Awards were launched last year, providing Textile students with a showcase for cutting edge design and innovation in all aspects of knitted textiles.  The standard of entered work is superb and it is judged by leading lights from the world of textiles and the knitting industry.  The exhibition of the finalist’s work is staged at the Knitting + Stitching show at Alexandra Palace and Harrogate and really pushes out the boundaries of convention.

The student awards are a main destination for tutors and students of knitted textiles as well as thousands of other show visitors and the overwhelming response is “Wow! I never knew knitting could be like this”

From exquisite fashion to furnishings and lighting installations, the exhibited masterpieces are always

full of surprises.

A national hand knitting and crochet competition was also launched last year.  Open to everyone, this provides a real opportunity for accomplished yarn crafters to show off their skill and expertise and is an excellent forum for the general public to see how far the craft has come in the 21st century.  A gallery space at ICHF’s Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC in March showed the finalist’s work from this year’s theme, “Winter Warmers”, the theme for 2005 is “Spring into Summer”.  Both the student awards and the national competition are co-sponsored by GMC’s Knitting magazine and supported by Creative Exhibitions and ICHF respectively.

More awards and initiatives are being planned and there are also various charitable activities that the BHKC are supporting.

The Children’s Society’s Knit a Thon invites people to get sponsored for knitting.  From blanket squares to more elaborate projects, those seeking a reason to knit could not find a more worthwhile excuse!

Oxfam boutiques are switched on to the value of donated garments that have fashion on their side and an enterprising Oxfam boutique manager in Surrey holds regular ‘knit ins’ in the shop window.  This inspires many a passer by to get knitting too! 

Spotting a hot trend in knitwear is made easy this autumn as fashion pages in newspapers and magazines and retail outlets are all sporting knitted ponchos in a full spectrum of styles and colours. This unisex and multi-size garment is the practical solution for unpredictable weather, easy to knit and providing a glamorous fashion statement to boot. Knit a poncho and donate it to an Oxfam boutique to sell or sell it to a friend and donate the money is the message here.

In all this mounting activity to keep knitting on top, we also recognise the need to reward and celebrate those accomplished fast knitters and crocheters with the world’s fastest knitter and crocheter challenges.  This is all about testing your speeds against the current world records but above all, having fun!

This challenge draws people to Creative Exhibition’s Knitting and Stitching show from far and wide and everyone is encouraged to check their speeds in the UK heats culminating this year in the world challenge on Sat 9th October when the American champions will be in contest with our top UK speedsters.

When our very own Wendy Moorby and Susan Briscoe, UK’s knitting and crochet champions respectively, went out to NY to take on the Americans, Wendy Moorby returned triumphant as the world’s Fastest Knitter and Susan put on an extremely good fight against America’s crochet world champion, Lily Chin.  Not only did this capture the interest of knitting enthusiasts but the whole nation was enthralled as they woke up to their TV programme ‘Good Morning America’ to watch the contest live!  This event at Alexandra Palace is supported by Woman’s Weekly and their knitting editorial team who play an active role at the show, invigilating the contest.

Being involved in this multi-faceted campaign is both a privilege and a pleasure.  Apart from the diversity of all these initiatives, there is an overriding factor keeping the sparkle, enthusiasm and momentum going and that is the wonderful people that this craft seems to attract.  There is still a great deal to be done and we embrace almost everything that keeps knitting in the limelight.  Working with schools and youth groups is the next big challenge – just watch this space!

For detailed information on all activities, click onto www.ukhandknitting.com

Fastest Knitter and Crocheter

Knitted Textile Student Awards

National Knitting Competition

Relax and Knit at creative craft shows

Special Knitting Events

Charity events

How to knit and crochet

Media coverage “Isn’t knit sexy”