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Knitting Hits the News!
Listed under: Top Story
Published: Monday, October 12, 2009
The spotlight has been cast on the knitting industry once again after a well-known newspaper recently revealed yarn sales had risen almost 30% since the banking crisis last autumn
The Daily Mail – which ran the story on its website earlier this month – attributed the sector's growth to the strong endorsement it has received from glamourous stars, such as Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Geri Halliwell, over the past few years, many of whom it credits for making the pastime trendy.
The recession is also cited as a cause, with the paper suggesting the recent resurgence of 'make do and mend' culture has fuelled further interest in the category. The story comes as popular arts and crafts chain, Hobby Craft, also announces a 28% rise in profits this year, seeing the company sell more than a million balls of wool since 2008.
Speaking to the Daily Mail Online, Hobbycraft's chief executive, Chris Crombie, says, “People of all ages are adopting a make-your-own attitude during the recession. Chunky yarns, which tend to be picked by first-time knitters because they are easier to handle, have proved to be the best-sellers, with sales rising 38%.”
The trend has been confirmed by retail giant John Lewis, which has seen sales of its needles and designer wool rise six percent over the past year.
John Okell of yarn store, Laughing Hens, agrees knitting is currently thriving. Speaking to Craft Business, he says, “We've had a great 12 months and it's definitely been a fantastic couple of years for knitting. I don't think there's any one thing driving interest in this area, but a number of different factors working together.”
He adds, “People are generally looking for inexpensive, enjoyable and uncomplicated things to do with their time, and knitting is the perfect pastime, as it's not only relaxing, creative and relatively easy to learn, but you can do it anywhere, regardless of the location, time or weather!”
“There seem to be a lot more people selling their designs nowadays too,” he continues, “not just finished pieces they've created, but actual yarns they have coloured themselves too. This has inevitably driven up sales in the sector, seeing individuals buy their everyday materials in much larger supplies.”
The recession is also cited as a cause, with the paper suggesting the recent resurgence of 'make do and mend' culture has fuelled further interest in the category. The story comes as popular arts and crafts chain, Hobby Craft, also announces a 28% rise in profits this year, seeing the company sell more than a million balls of wool since 2008.
Speaking to the Daily Mail Online, Hobbycraft's chief executive, Chris Crombie, says, “People of all ages are adopting a make-your-own attitude during the recession. Chunky yarns, which tend to be picked by first-time knitters because they are easier to handle, have proved to be the best-sellers, with sales rising 38%.”
The trend has been confirmed by retail giant John Lewis, which has seen sales of its needles and designer wool rise six percent over the past year.
John Okell of yarn store, Laughing Hens, agrees knitting is currently thriving. Speaking to Craft Business, he says, “We've had a great 12 months and it's definitely been a fantastic couple of years for knitting. I don't think there's any one thing driving interest in this area, but a number of different factors working together.”
He adds, “People are generally looking for inexpensive, enjoyable and uncomplicated things to do with their time, and knitting is the perfect pastime, as it's not only relaxing, creative and relatively easy to learn, but you can do it anywhere, regardless of the location, time or weather!”
“There seem to be a lot more people selling their designs nowadays too,” he continues, “not just finished pieces they've created, but actual yarns they have coloured themselves too. This has inevitably driven up sales in the sector, seeing individuals buy their everyday materials in much larger supplies.”
