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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Knitting can evoke images of seniors in a circle, chatting about their week while barely even paying attention to their needles, the motion is so second nature. However, the engrained concept of knitting as something for the elderly is one being challenged. This past week at the Islington Branch of the Westwood Library, librarians offered knitting all week during school vacation. From 3:30 to 4:30, Dewey Knit? Yes We Do! invited local children from grades three to five were invited to continue or even learn how to knit.
Offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, this program had been offered before by the library as well. “We did it last summer for about six weeks,” Claire Connors, librarian, explained. Tuesday, there were eight girls who came to knit, on Wednesday only two, and on Thursday they were back up to three. Two of the girls had been there all three days, a pair committed to their knitting. The three girls on Thursday explained what they were making and where they learned. “I learned from my mom,” one girl explained.
Another said, “I just looked up videos on YouTube and then I went to another knitting class and now I’m here!”
All three girls on Thursday were working on scarfs. “I’m doing knitting and pearling,” one girl explained. “My grandmother taught me how to.” The other girls, while just knitting, showed off their work from the previous days, including finger knitting projects.
“I like finger knitting, it’s so easy! I just don’t know how to start it but once someone begins it it’s really easy,” the youngest of the group said.
Connors said, “We’ll probably try to do another knitting program again this summer. It’s hard during the year because you just don’t know with people’s schedules and stuff.”
“At the main branch, we have knitting for the teens and they knit hats and blankets for the ‘premies’ at Children’s and Boston Medical,” Connors continued. “And then we have Sit-In Knit here every Thursday morning from 10:30 to noon for adults, and anyone’s invited.”
While Thursday was the last day for knitting over February vacation, April is right around the corner. “We haven’t scheduled anything yet, but I’m sure we will,” Connor said. “We’ll see.”
