We help each other with knitting, but sometimes you just sit and chat and do your own thing really. It’s just relaxing.

We’ve known each other for a while now. Most of us only see each other once a week. We get to know each other’s backgrounds because we don’t always sit by the same person. I don’t tend to keep in touch through the week, but once a week we just slot back in.”

– Leslie

“I approached the manager at knitworld and asked her whether it would be okay to start up a group. I just liked the idea of like minded people sharing. She agreed to it. So the two of us sat there in knitworld for about a few months I suppose, And gradually people started to take a bit of courage to come and sit down.

Then of course, we had the earthquakes and Knitworld found us a place in Philipstown yes we’ve been several different places. and then somebody found us the premises here so we shifted over here. How many originals are there? I think there’s about four originals from knitworld.

It became a fellowship group as well as a craft group. We’ve all become very good friends. It’s a really nice, safe, comfortable, supportive group. We will do our handcraft, but if you come along and you feel a little bit yuck and you don’t really want to join in with the conversation, it doesn’t matter because you’re doing something with your hands. If you feel like just just sitting like I’m doing and doing nothing you’re comfortable doing this as well because you can chat to your friends and you leave here feeling positive.”

– Marjorie

“I came to Christchurch 17 years ago with my husband. Knitworld was literally two minutes walk away. I saw a sign up saying ‘knitting group meeting’. I hadn’t knitted for about 20 years prior, but I came to meet people.

So we became friends and after the earthquakes we moved here. Leslie taught me how to crochet. When we had problems, somebody could help to interpret this pattern, or one of us would find a scarf pattern and people would make it in different colours. So we share our skills and help suggest new ideas for doing things.

We shared lots of experiences throughout the years. Those of us who have children or grandchildren, we knit for them. it’s a social thing.”

– Judith

“I love that they are like family to me. And also when I started coming here at the library. One of the librarians introduced me to this knitting group and I started loving it. Marjorie taught me how to knit, now I know how to knit. and I love being around people.

I like doing blankets and scarves lately. I’ve been doing scarves and my next project is a blanket.”

– Jillian

Today is World Wide Knit in Public Day. Look out for Karla and Susan’s knitting story Monday 12 June.