Get needles and yarn to beat recession

Sales of hand knitting yarns are up - especially yarn on cones - as women are using hand operated and larger domestic knitting machines to manufacture garments in cottage industries.

"I'm finding people are keen on triangular shawls at the moment and I have knitted them in cotton, wool and mohair yarns,” says experienced East London knitter Faye Manthe.

“Handmade goods knitted with natural fibres are terrific for people who hate the feel of synthetics on their skin or who are allergic to them; most knitwear in the shops these days is made from synthetic yarns.

"To make money from knitting, I buy yarn on sales.

"It's perfectly good yarn - just reduced in price. You have to be wise about where you buy yarn and look out for bargains, otherwise you don't make a profit."

The country‘s largest maker and supplier of hand knitting yarns, Saprotex International, is surviving the current recession and competition from inexpensive knitwear imports from China.

It has been proved before that in times of recession, people turn to hobbies and crafts to supplement their income, says the East London based firm‘s national head of sales, Stephen Medcalf.

He says the phenomenon is not just a South African one, but is evident in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Medcalf attends many knitting and craft exhibitions worldwide.

South Africa experienced a knitting craze in 2005.

Remember when women young and old were knitting fluffy scarves in all sorts of mixed, variegated hues?

These scarves were made mainly from a yarn called “Plume”, which Saprotex introduced into South Africa. It is also known as an “eyelash” yarn.

Since then, knitters have been looking forward to new yarn innovations from the company every year, says Medcalf.

Fancy, interestingly textured yarns and metallic ones are most popular.

Knitting is not just for grandmothers. The yarn company finds it is being taken up by both young and old.

Over the past few years knitwear has become increasingly prominent at international fashion shows.

Vogue reported that the autumn/winter catwalks featured knits such as fluffy and shaggy jackets; long knitted dresses over leggings; and cardigans.

These knits are generally big and chunky and some are belted at the waist.

Cashmere and mohair predominate. Black is this winter‘s favourite colour; pink is also popular, judging from the shows.

Having returned from the largest international hand knitting fair in Cologne at the end of March, Medcalf gives his predictions for the coming winter: “I think we will see an upswing in the knitting of scarves again, as one of the yarns on several German stands was the Pom-Pom yarn - ideal for scarves.

“Knitted coats and dresses are in vogue - either worn over jeans or just on their own.

“Cardigans predominated, with designs moving from this season‘s single button opening to a three-button opening set quite high up. Shrugs are also still popular.

“Metallic yarns are certainly going to be big for winter 2010.

"They create a lovely look for evening as well as day wear.

"Some of the overseas companies have introduced boucle yarns which for some reason have not always taken off in the South African market.

"Printed yarns were evident in abundance.”

Medcalf says purple is also mooted as a big shade for this winter and that should bring shades of lilac back into favour.

Greens such as avocado, pea, grass green and touches of turquoise are also proving popular. Textured looks give depth to garments.

“Our printed yarn called Escapade continues to be a strong growth product and the beauty of it is that it forms a pattern as you knit by virtue of how it is printed.”

“Another of our yarns launched is one called Earth, which knits into variegated stripes in tonal shades.

"The initial reaction from our customers has been excellent.”

So, women are getting with the programme - er pattern! They‘re picking up bobbly, silky, hairy, knobbly, stripy, wispy or whatever yarn and getting clicking.

Why not make your own signature items at home?

If you don‘t have time to do this, you could supplement another woman‘s income here in South Africa by paying her to knit for you.

It‘s better than going to a retail chain and buying something that probably has been imported.

Source: The Herald

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