Another Knitting Post

So, we might be plunging right into one of the insidious stereotypes about librarians by having another blog post about knitting. After all, we've already posted about charity knitting and knitting with pet fur. Despite the absence of numbers on knitters by occupation, 2005 data shows that 36% of American women "know how to knit or crochet", a 51% increase from 10 years prior. Since about 84% of librarians are women, it's a short leap to say that many librarians are also knitters.

Our efforts to get more updated statistics on yarn addiction, um, I mean, yarn hobbies, in the United States were unsuccessful, but the UK Hand Knitting Association regularly posts numbers that show a steady increase in interest in that part of the world. In fact, a return to having knitting in school for both boys and girls is improving literacy, test scores, and behavior. The Santa Fe Waldorf School introduces knitting into the curriculum starting in first grade, and perhaps it will catch on in other schools.

In the Less-than-Educational Department, there is also a form of public art utilizing yarn, sometimes known as yarn bombing or knit graffiti. While the American Library Association has yet to issue a statement about this form of "urban improvement", there were a couple of yarn bombs close to the Main Library this past winter. It was definitely a cheery sight to see a tree trunk or light post swathed in some cozy-looking stitches. While most of the knitters I know like to place their works into friendly hands, that next yarn bomb you see just might have a librarian behind it.