WASHINGTON 鈥� Once a favored pastime of aunts and grandmas, it seems knitting has recently gone through a renaissance.
Jessica Boudreau, a co-owner of in Dupont Circle, says she sees people of all ages come through the shop.
鈥淲e get everyone from older people, like grandmothers knitting for their grandkids, to college students who buy their supplies to knit Christmas presents so their friends all get fun hats, or to de-stress when they鈥檙e doing finals. Or there are people like me, I鈥檓 just a mid-thirties girl.鈥�
鈥淭here are a lot of knitters, maybe more out there than people realize,” Boudreau says. 鈥淣ot everybody talks about it.鈥�
What might be keeping young knitters in the supply closet, so to speak? A common misconception, Boudreau says, is that knitwear can鈥檛 be fashionable.
鈥淚 make it look exactly how I want. It doesn鈥檛 have to look 鈥楪randma.鈥� I can go to Anthropologie and see a sweater and say, 鈥業鈥檓 not buying that, I鈥檓 going to make it.’鈥�
No new knitter turns out a perfect cable-knit cardigan on his or her first try. Starting out, Boudreau suggests beginning with the basics, and being realistic about what you鈥檙e capable of right out of the gate.
鈥淭here are people that will learn to knit, and then they want it to look so perfect from the beginning,鈥� Boudreau says.
鈥淚 always say that鈥檚 not going to happen, especially when you鈥檙e learning. But the other thing is, you鈥檙e not a machine, you鈥檙e a person. So there are going to be some flaws. There will be some changing. It鈥檚 part of the beauty of having a hand-knit item. It鈥檚 made by hand. It has those little flaws. It鈥檚 not going to be perfect.鈥�
And don鈥檛 be afraid to try and try again. That Anthropologie sweater isn鈥檛 as far out of reach as you might think.
鈥淚 always tell people there鈥檚 no such thing as a hard project, it鈥檚 just how much effort you want to put into it. Or if you see a sweater and you鈥檙e like 鈥業 just want to make a sweater,鈥� I tell people to just do it. It might be a little fugly, your first one, but it might be beautiful too. It just depends.鈥�
Practice makes perfect, and incentives help. Boudreau cautions that she鈥檚 not a doctor, but she finds some health benefits in the activity. The repetitive action gives the mind something to focus on, and the clicking needles keep restless hands occupied.
鈥淚 think it does help you clear your mind, it does help you de-stress, it does help you to relax. My husband will always say 鈥業 know when you鈥檙e really stressed or really high strung because you start knitting a lot more.鈥欌��
And for people struggling with bad habits, like smoking or overeating, Boudreau says knitting may help manage cravings.
鈥淚t鈥檚 probably good for somebody who鈥檚 trying to quit smoking. It keeps your hands busy. So if your hands are busy you鈥檙e less likely to eat a bunch of snacks, you鈥檙e less likely to smoke a cigarette because you鈥檝e got your hands occupied.鈥�
While it may not be the cheapest option, Boudreau says a hand-knit item will bring more joy.
鈥淭he nicer yarn you buy, the more expensive it gets,” says Boudreau. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 more expensive to hand-make a sweater than it is to go buy one. 鈥�
But she says the time, effort and the possible price tag are all worth it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just nice to wear something that you鈥檝e made. For me, at least, I get a lot of joy out of that. It makes me feel good. Nobody else has it, it鈥檚 made to fit me, and I can wear it five times, wish it was a little longer, and rip out the bottom and add some length. I love it because it鈥檚 made by me.鈥�
