Extreme Knitting in Action
by Kathreen Ricketson, Canberra, Australia on 06.23.07
Knitter Ingrid Wagner is breaking the world record for big knitting, she is using knitting needles bigger than broomsticks and knits with recycled materials to make a rug in a day. The current world champion for knitting with the biggest needles is Julia Hopson of Cornwell (see image). But this begs the question why? Not why bother breaking a world record? (that is question for a psychologist), rather why knitting? This example of extreme knitting is just one episode in an international knitting epidemic, famous people, children and hipsters are all taking up the needles. Some say it is due to the meditative qualities of knitting, for others it is a response to how we feel about the environment and mass consumerism, it is part of a broader collective urge to simplify our lives.
We at TreeHugger are having our own love affair with knitting, check out stories on World wide knit in public day organic wool sweaters, green yarns, and other eco friendly yarns, book reviews: No sheep for you, and the natural knitter, and for more extreme knitting check out these: knitted houses, a knitted river, knitted graffiti, and knitted tree sweaters.
::via article ::article at whipup ::Image: current extreme knitting world champion
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
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- Origin: The London Craft Fair: Week 2
- Women's Hands Make Nice Work for Turkish Craft Site
- Barcelona Forever, a Recycled Interior Design Installation by Mette Bak Andersen
I'm not quite sure why you need such long needles. I just use old poster tubes for knitting stuff out of carrier bags
See photie on flickr here
WOW those are some really big needles. That is so cool!
Michele
lilyputts
Hi
I'm Julia Hopson current world record holder as per your picture.
I've noticed that you have produced a feature about organic wool.
Our Company, Cornish Organic Wool which is certified by the Soil Association produces in our opinion the purest Organic Wool in the World and only leaves a 'small eco footprint' as the whole process from farm to spinning mill takes place in Cornwall.
All our farms are certified by the Soil Association as is our Spinning Mill, as are we.
We can trace each skein of wool not only back to the farm but actually back to the shearing date.
For more info please see
www.cornishorganicwool.co.uk