' Knitting bees ' is a group of friends who get together at each other's houses once a fortnight or more often and knit together .Women have been doing this for centuries,making things for themselves and for their family.Knitting is clothing made in spare moments using just a pair of knitting needles and wool sometimes around the fireplace , a centuries old tradition that is still being kept alive via knitting lessons passed on through the generations and various 'Knit and Knatter ladies clubs' being offered at local libraries for free .
There is something strikingly simple, constructive and bonding about the ladies who knit as they are a close set of friends who have been doing this for years. Learning new patterns from each other, chatting away while working , reminiscing the old days of childhood and newly wed life , laughing at the good times they have had and comparing their finished products to gift away to their loved ones seems like a much needed change from the hedonistic 'Kitty parties' we are used to back in India with ladies who compete to prepare the best dishes and overfeed each other, gossip and occassionally play card games or gamble to pass the time .
It seems like nowadays , knitting is the new Yoga - the peaceful clacking of needles creating a heartbeat , a rythm of rest , a meditative oasis in the midst of a frantic lifestyle . This trend may have started off as a marketing ploy by the wool industry but its certainly taken off . When I asked a lady why she knits , she replied ''Because it gives her a sense of calm and order as its easy to keep order in knitting.'' And sure enough it is - count one,two,three.Simple numbers,knit one, purl one, yarn over needle , slipstitch.Easy does it.Drop a stitch and catch it up again.It's easy to fix mistakes in knitting .
Knitting is straight , orderly , neat rows with even numbers .Though the mind is not like knitting as its always messy and tangled , perhaps knitting in a simple order gives a sense of calm and peace at the times of stress .
