Social Club

Walking into a knitting club, you might expect to see grannies in their rockers stitching ugly reindeer sweaters. But not so at various local knitting groups, which are swiftly becoming the new book clubs for young women (and the occasional guy). “My average customer is in their late 20s, early 30s,” says Sue Caldwell, owner of Hampden’s Lovelyarns, which hosts a weekly group called Stitch ’n’ Bitch. “Knitting has evolved so much that it’s become very current and there’s a hipness to it.” Caldwell’s group is just one of many in the area, including Columbia Sip and Knit, the KnitWits, and Charm City Knitters. Stitch ’n’ Bitch runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Saturday at Caldwell’s store. “It’s a laid back, come-and-go kind of thing,” she says. “But we talk about everything. People make lasting friendships and relationships here.” Caldwell says her knitting groups have tripled in size in the past couple years, and she has a sneaking suspicion why. “Life is stressful enough,” she says. “Knitting is a way to keep calm.”