The Tallinn knitting club showing handicrafts are not just for grandmothers
A new knitting club for women in Tallinn, which meets in restaurants and cafés, is going from strength to strength. The goal of the club, organized by the Loop: Yarn Society, is to prove handicrafts can be a hobby for everyone – not just for grandmothers, reports ERR's Heleri All.
"Last time, I was surprised that when I posted the knitting club dates, the whole month got booked up right before my eyes," said Grete Rattasepp, one of the knitting club's main organizers.
"We usually take up to twelve people to keep the atmosphere cozy and enable everyone to talk to each other. It's absolutely crazy what has happened in a couple of months."
"You can knit alone at home, but it's much more fun here. It's really inspiring to see what others are doing, and you also get ideas for yourself," one of the knitting club members, Sille, told ERR.
According to another member of the club, Daisy, because, everyone has a shared interest, she doesn't feel bad if she just wants to talk about knitting all evening.
The knitting evenings take place once a week. Those who attend did not know each other before – it was only their common interest in knitting that brought them together.
Grete and, her fellow organizer Maria Kim, have become firm friends because of the knitting evenings.
"We first met at a coffee festival. The next time we met, we created an Instagram account, set up an email address and posted information about the club's first meeting," said Maria, who is a ceramist by profession and was a complete beginner at knitting before joining the club.
Grete Rattasepp's grandmother taught her to knit when she was four years old. "I've always had knitting needles in my hands. I went to the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) to study fashion design. I knit every day and am really involved in it," said Rattasepp.
"Knitting is such an introverted activity that it's nice to be able to talk to someone while doing it," said Živile, who also attends the club to improve her spoken Estonian.
"I used to be afraid to take out my knitting in public, but now I don't care what other people think," said Sille with a smile. "When I have a stressful day at work, I just shut down my computer for half an hour and knit. It's just so calming."
Up to now, the knitting club evenings have been held in various cafes and restaurants. However, this December, the group are also planning to go to the cinema together.
"In Lithuania, Latvia, Finland and Norway, there are actually knitting cinemas where you knit, the lights are on, and you also watch a movie," said Rattasepp. "Our goal is to show everyone that knitting and crocheting are cool – they're not just hobbies for grandmothers."
More information about the knitting club, including how to sign up for future meetings, is available here.
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Editor: Annika Remmel, Michael Cole
Source: "Ringvaade," interviewer Heleri All
