Knit Chicks and knit-nerds are taking over and they’re not knitting baby booties or crocheting doilies anymore. More young people are taking up this craft making everything from conventional scarves and mittens to wraps, cell phone covers, and purses.
There is tremendous growth in the twenty-something age group that is looking to express their creativity and get away from technology for a while.
Thanks to awe-inspiring Pinterest boards and those extreme knitting stars we are picking up more and more on YouTube, along with various fashion companies, knitting has become cool again.
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The Craft Yarn Council of America says young women in their twenties were fuelling yarn sales across the country. Between 2002 and 2004, the council’s annual surveys found knitters between the ages of 25 to 34 jumped 150 percent. Its most recent survey found expressing creativity is what draws this cohort to take up the craft.
I have noticed an influx of younger knitters in church groups who volunteer to make various knits for donation.
But now there is giant knitting to add to the mix, and this means that knitting is now super fast and what took weeks to knit in the past is now only taking a day or two. Hell, you don’t even need a knitting machine anymore.
So What Is Giant Knitting?
Giant knitting is taking the art of normal knitting and putting it on steroids.
So in the past when we would use small knitting needles, now the bigger and fatter the needle, the better. I have seen some needles the size of baseball bats.
The wool is also a lot thicker and using giant-sized knitting needles with super thick wool enables you to knit a blanket for your bed in record time.
And even if you can’t get your hands on these unique plus-size needles, you can use things like broomsticks and even your own arms to knit up a storm.
Unfortunately, the jumbo yarn that is needed to create these larger-than-life designs is quite expensive, due to its size and softness.
I have been lucky enough to find a shop in our relatively small city that stocks the wool and the needles, but it is pretty expensive stuff, especially if you just want to experiment a bit first.
One blog I read said that she paid over $125 to knit a 20 x 40-inch blanket.
Even so, this hasn’t stopped crafters from getting in on the giant knitting trend. Once they do get their hands on some supplies it’s easy to create something beautiful and eye-catching in no time. All you have to know is how to do a basic knit stitch to get started.
Since one stitch goes a long way and intricate designs aren’t needed with such bulky yarn, giant knitting is a great way for knitting newbies to get into the hobby.
The blankets that can be made are super soft and make a cozy and huggable addition to your house. The scarves and hats are soft and warm and can be made in record time. I have even seen people sporting jerseys and jackets made in this fashion.
The Disadvantages This Knitting
I haven’t found too many disadvantages of this type of knitting yet, but two do stand out.
Disadvantage 1:
As a long-time knitter, trying to knit with larger needles and wool does feel clumsy and I do tend to knit rather slowly, but it is a lot faster as you need to do a lot fewer rows. The patterns, however, are easy and mostly consist of simple basic knitting stitches.
Disadvantage 2:
The larger the item that you knit, the heavier it gets. You may not enjoy wearing a heavy coat or scarf for extended periods. A large blanket, for instance, can weigh up to 10 kg.
Can I Buy Supplies Online?
There are wonderful supplies that you can purchase online, and in most cases cheaper than you would pay at your local craft shop.
Here is a wonderful book full of patterns to get you started. It is called Big Knits, Big Needles.
