All about Knitting
The following was published in the January 17, 2008 issue of The Floyd Press and also appears online HERE.
About fifteen knitters showed up to have their knitting questions answered by Margaret Radcliffe at the Jessie Peterman Library this past Sunday afternoon. Radcliffe, a Blacksburg resident who has been knitting for forty-five years, is the author of The Knitting Answer Handbook. She travels the country teaching knitting techniques and answering knitting questions. Her business, Maggie’s Rags, is a wholesale outlet for her original handknitting patterns.
Eleven year old Jessica Spangler, one of the event’s attendees, has been teaching herself to knit using a book her mother gave her. She asked Radcliffe one of the first questions. Several women worked on their knitting as Radcliffe, donned in an eggplant colored hand knitted vest, answered Spangler’s question about fading yarn.
“Anything that is dyed can fade,” Radcliffe said. She advised not to keep knitted yarn sitting in the sun and to watch if knitted clothing runs the first time it is immersed in water for hand washing. 
Knitting has been regaining popularity, as evidenced by the number of new yarn shops and online knitting businesses, Radcliffe told the crowd.
“If you spend a lot of time knitting, people come to you, yarn comes to you,” she said, explaining how she came to teach knitting.
When asked how long she had been knitting, Eleva Smith, another attendee, laughed and answered, “Just since I got here.” She has been crocheting Afghans for years, so she picked up the knitting stitches pretty quickly. She also welcomed the help of the knitter sitting next to her.
A Floyd woman originally from Michigan spoke of a wool sweater that her mother had knitted for her sister in the 1950’s. Her sister still wears the sweater.
“As it should be,” Radcliffe said. “Knitted wool clothing lasts a long time,” she said as she moved around the room offering tips.
Towards the end of the hour long meet-up, knitters browsed through tubs of clothes that Radcliffe had brought, admiring the finished prototypes of Radcliffe’s design patterns that included sweaters, shawls, vests, socks, hats, and more.
Several women purchased Radcliffe’s book and she signed copies for them. The book has been reprinted in several languages and includes chapters titled Casting on, The Basics, Binding Off, Tools, Yarn, Reading Patterns, Stitches, Circular Knitting, Color, Shaping, Fitting, and Embellishments. It can be purchased for $14.95 through Amazon.com and in some knitting shops. 
A list of stores that carry her original handmade patterns can be found on her website, maggiesrags.com, Radcliffe said. The webpage also features knitting tips, a schedule of her classes, and a color catalog of her knitting designs. She suggests interested knitters ask local stores to carry her products for easy access.
Artist and avid knitter, Cheryl Sweeney announced to the group that an informal knitting club has been meeting monthly on Wednesday nights at the Floyd Country Store. She suggested that anyone interested contact her for the next scheduled date. ~ Colleen Redman
January 18th, 2008 11:23 am
I’ve even heard certain stars, like Julia Roberts, started knitting to release stress while filming. That one I could never do, have never really wanted to…my grandmother did her best to teach me to crochet when I was younger. My mother tried to teach me sewing. I was the little girl with her head in the clouds just waiting to get back outside and ride my bike, doing jumps and spying on the boys!
January 18th, 2008 11:30 am
I love the idea of making my own clothes. It appeals to my interest in self-sufficiency. But I didn’t get the gene for it, although my sister Kathy did. Margaret was teaching knitting but I was thinking, I wonder if she’d sell any of those beautiful clothes … her prototypes? Doing this story made me a tad nervous because I don’t know anything about knitting, but it turned out to be a blast. I’m very comfortable with a room full of creative women.
January 18th, 2008 11:38 am
The knitting seems very nice. caspar knits not so much, but that is not due to any kind of sexist perception of the craft. It is more a fine motor skill thing.
I did scan some of the other posts and you voice of a writer is quite clear. Michele sent me. Apparently she has the influence to accomplish such things.
January 18th, 2008 1:21 pm
Revival of knitting, isn’t it funny how thing go round and round? I learned to knit at a young age, I remember knitting Barbie clothes. I taught one daughter and am in the process of teaching the granddaughters. I recently visited a new yarn/knitting shop in our little town, where they offer lessons on making socks. I like socks. Very interesting…
January 18th, 2008 1:24 pm
i really want to learn to knit. my mom did it, and so does two of my sisters, but somehow i missed out on learning. my friend here has a loom and is going to start spinning her own yarn, so we may start learning together.
i’m one of those people though, that feels i need to get better at the things i already know how to do instead of taking on another project. we’ll see….
January 18th, 2008 1:25 pm
My sister Kathy got the sewing gene from our Nana knitted us all hats and mittens and made us Barbie clothes. This is all something I wish I could snap my fingers and know how to do, but I don’t want to stop and learn it. I’m so glad others do.
January 18th, 2008 3:04 pm
Great story…As you know from reading my blog…I love to knit! It is the most relaxing thing I do…and I get great clothes (mostly socks) out of the deal! It is a way to be creative…just like my quilting is!!! Glad you did the story. Can I move down to Floyd to hang out with that knitting group?????
January 18th, 2008 3:45 pm
I’ve tried and tried, and can’t knit to save my puny little life. It frustrates me because I’d love to be able to knit my own sweaters for Ohio’s frigid winters.
January 18th, 2008 10:52 pm
I tried to learn when I was a kid, but I was hopeless. (I blame my lefthandedness.) Still, I’m so happy to see the craft revived. It reminds me of curling up next to my mom on the couch while she knitted me a sky blue sweater when I was about eight. It might have been slightly misshapen, but whenever I wore it, I felt the love.
January 19th, 2008 9:31 am
WHAT a coincidence! As you probably know, I returned to knitting 4 years ago and I’m terribly addicted. Just did a blog the other day about a new yarn shop I found in Gainesville.
ANYway….I’m reading your entry here and thinking “gee, that book sounds familiar” and went to check my knitting bag to be sure. YUP….my girlfriend, Alice, who got me back into knitting gave me this book 2 years ago! It’s fantastic and I can highly recommend it for all knitters. Easy to understand instructions, great photos. Alice signed the inside for me and it’s dated 1/18/06 from when she was here visiting me. Since she’s up in the Boston area, she thought the book would help me without her next to me and it has. A lot.
I enjoyed this article and now I’ll go check out Margaret’s website.