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Leeds youngsters catch the knitting bug
WOOL was the 19th century lifeblood of West Yorkshire, so it's no surprise that knitting is still popular with the older generation.
But now, more and more youngsters are picking up their knitting needles as the hobby enjoys a recession-sparked comeback.
Pupils at Parklands Girls High School in Seacroft, Leeds, have joined forces with local pensioners to learn the skill during lunchbreaks.
A group of elderly ladies regularly visit the school to give knitting lessons, bridging the gap between old and young in the community.
And once their knit-one purl-one skills are up to scratch, the girls plan to knit scarves, beanie hats and even mobile phone covers.
Becky Patchesa, the school's co-head of art and technology, said: "We wanted to break down stereotypes in the community and bring the elderly and the young together. Knitting is a bit of a lost art and the reaction to the classes has been amazing.
"I'm really passionate about anything to do with textiles, and knitting is a skill that the elderly can pass onto younger generations.
"The girls only started the lessons in September so they're still learning, but I'm hoping we'll be able to start on a project soon."
As reported in the YEP, a new wool shop has opened in Leeds to cater for the huge numbers of people taking up the skill.
Verity Britton, owner of Baa Ram Ewe on Otley Road, Headingley, said the hobby's revival was partly due to the credit crunch, which means people are looking for cheaper alternatives to buying clothes, as well as a rise in creativity and handicrafts.
The shop holds regular learn-to-knit sessions which are fully booked and also ran popular classes at the universities' freshers weeks.
The wool industry made West Yorkshire famous in the 19th century, putting cities such as Leeds, and Wakefield on the map.
And as the recession bites, it seems that more and more young people are picking up the knitting needles to create their own clothes.
Mrs Patchesa added: "We're going through a recession and it's a time when we're encouraged to recycle rather than spend money.
"The girls are really keen to do something different with their lunchbreaks and the sixth formers are knitting all over the school, even in the common room, so it's obviously something which is really popular again. It's an old skill which has come back to life."
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
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