Vocabulary: Knitting 針織

For many, knitting evokes images of elderly women weaving woolly jumpers for their grandchildren.

But the craft is undergoing a revival as knitters of all ages are picking up needles and yarns again. For Dr Sarah-Marie Belcastro, knitting is a mathematical challenge rather than about making garments: "Converting a smooth curve into a knitted pattern is a math problem because one has to figure out where exactly to place the discrete changes in curvature (…)" Like Dr Belcastro, many other knitters transform mathematical concepts into intricate patterns to better understand a shape or concept.

Knitting can also be a social event and has gained popularity in recent years. Many groups have started up around the world to bring strangers together into more close-knit communities. Men and women of all ages can attend the ‘Knit and Natter’ group, for instance, where people get together to practise the handicraft while having a good old chat.

Feminists have rejected knitting in the past because it was a craft learnt by women and was looked down on – but it is precisely because of its important social role that New Yorker Debbie Stoller believes knitting should be brought back into fashion. She established a popular knitting group that led to a string of 1,300 others. "In the same way that fishing is not just about getting something to eat, knitting is not just about making something to wear”, she says.

So it’s not just about ending up with woolly socks and scarves to give as birthday presents to family and friends. Whether those who attend go to spin a yarn, gossip or end up in stitches, it seems knitting can provide a therapeutic break in our modern lifestyles.