NOT JUST CHILD’S PLAY

Did you own a Knitting Nancy when you were a child? Before the internet, or even television, this simple spool knitting device was childhood entertainment. But it wasn’t all play

Loom or spool knitting dates back some 400 years and was traditionally used to make horse reins.

During World War 1 it was used as a rehabilitative activity for wounded soldiers in hospital

Spear’s Games launched the Knitting Nancy toy in 1926 and this is when the spools started being painted with colourful cartoonish characteristics.

Spool knitting is a simple activity that teaches children the fundamentals of knitting and is simple enough for them to easily complete projects themselves.

Steiner schools teach knitting because it aids childhood development like small motor skills, eye tracking, hand-eye coordination, crossing the midline, bilateral hand movement and spatial oriented thinking.

Knit one, purl one, knitting is based on counting and is also said to build mathematical acuity A beanie is made with 3 needles that initially form a triangular shape, but once removed, the flexible yarn takes on a circular shapea perfect example of rubber sheet geometry

But knitting can also provide a sense of connection, comfort and purpose. During World War 1, knitting socks was a homefront response across the British Empire.

In Australia, the push to knit for the war effort was coordinated by the Red Cross, the Australian Comforts Fund and other groups including the Soldiers’ Sock Fund

Knitting patterns and cheap wool were distributed and it’s estimated that Australian women knitted over 1.3 million pairs By knitting together women were able to share their concerns and provide practical comforting relief to soldiers facing extreme conditions on the front.

The act of dedicating time to knitting for somebody else has a reciprocal effect, benefiting both the knitter and recipient that continues to be relevant today.

An Experience Coordinator at Canberra University noticed that many new interstate students struggled to adapt to the colder climate. Applying an interesting twist to yarn bombing they started a project where existing students learnt to knit a scarf or beanie as an anonymous gift for newly arrived students.

New students felt welcomed and the makers learnt a new off-screen skill and a sense of kindness for others.

So, far from just a play time diversion, knitting has a rich history that continues to resonate Oh, and you can still buy spool knitting kits online which proves that some things just never grow old.