the age-old craft of knitting is no longer strictly the domain of grandmothers in rocking chairs, and it no longer must be transferred only from hand to hand and mouth to ear. within the past several years, knitting has enjoyed a slowly building but remarkable resurgence in popularity, particularly among young people. the new wave of knitting can be partially explained by the feed forward cycle of increased interest leading to greater cultural visibility leading to additional interest. this new face of the knitter is characterized by an enthusiastic embrace of technology as an instructor, a supporter, a marketplace, and a facilitator of community. while many people still do learn to knit from someone they know, an increasing number are teaching themselves using resources like youtube or knitting blogs.
this new generation of knitters are driven by the same tactile desire to make as older generations, but the aspect of the handmade has become ever more important due to its lack of necessity. they are likely to have worked in other crafts in the past, whether or not they still do, but their patience and devotion to the slow, methodical, almost meditational process of knitting sets them apart from other makers. when someone knits, they are performing a miracle: they are making something useful or beautiful out of some string and two sticks. this miracle is made possible by the love they wrap into every stitch.
