Back to Knitting Needles

Southland Times, Issue 21648, 9 March 1932, Page 3

Back to Knitting Needles

WOMEN RUSH TO BUY WOOL. Women have taken up their knitting needles and crochet hooks again, and are thronging the special departments of the shops where wools are sold and the latest stitches explained. It is the same in the small art needlework shops. The knitting craze has started with a will, and every day the number of its enthusiastic sunporters is increasing and the demand for ' wools—particularly New Zealand wools—growing. Experts in market research are inclined to attribute this sudden come-back of the knitting brigade to three causes: Weather.—A sunless summer put a damper on so many outside pastimes of the holiday-makers, and wet days saw processions of women wending their way to the needlework shops in search of “something to do.” National Economy— Women are naturally wishful to (urn their energies into productive money-saving channels, instead of being content with expensive social pleasures to kill time. Fashion.— The great vogue of tweeds has brought about a revival of knitted accessories in the way of jumpers, caps, and scarves knitted to match. And of these three reasons the last is the most important. “We have not had such a demand for wool for many years now,” stated the buyer of the wool department of a leading shop on Monday, “and it is as cheap as it will ever be. The immense popularity of sports wear accounts a great deal for this state of affairs. With a tweed costume nothing looks nicer than a handknitted jumper.” The hand-knitted jumper is, as every woman knows, so expensive to buy and so cheap to make! There is now on the market a wonderful thick wool, with shaded strands which, when knitted upon coarse needles, turns out one of the smartest tweed designs it would be possible to see. Cardigans and sleeveless pullovers in this yarn look splendid. The beret to match is a pleasing completion. Spaced fingering wool in different colours, all on one thread, when knitted is not unlike Fair Isle wool Bouclette. It is composed of several fine strands of a certain colour, intertwined with the same colour in a deeper shade of much coarser yarn, forming little “knobs” in the knitting and giving a very smart effect. Women are knitting baby clothes. Nothing is so soft, so safe, or so cosy in appearance for the small one as leggings, coat and bonnet of wool. In fact, many modern young mothers have elected to follow' the all-wool style of dressing for their small people.