Making A Cake

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday April 14, 2007

with KILMENY ADIE

Members of Wollongong's Stitch'n'Bitch knitting group have their tongues firmly in cheek when creating items for this weekend's annual exhibition.

Exhibition co-organiser Ailsa Daly explains that when it came to picking a theme for the group's second exhibition, the concept of shabby chic seemed an obvious choice.

After all, it was a fashion trend.

And the idea to make a knitted afternoon tea the focus of the exhibition fitted nicely with the group's monthly meetings over coffees, cocktails and cakes at the Novotel Northbeach.

"Afternoon tea and cake is always a part of our meetings," Daly explains, before moving on to the knitted version.

"They don't take long at all (to make). The cupcakes are a few hours work and there's a lot of people involved in it."

The knitted afternoon tea, featuring cupcakes, a cherry cake, teacups and saucers and, of course, a tea cosy are just some of the items on display this weekend.

The exhibition, which has been in planning since the start of the year, features work from the group's members.

Some of these members, including Daly, have won awards for their knitting projects.

Daly, who collected two highly commended awards at this year's Sydney Royal Easter show for her Shetland lace and fine lace knitting projects, says the group was founded in November 2004.

The meetings were held at Wollongong's Flame Tree Cafe until the number of members grew, forcing them to find another venue.

"We are totally opposed to anything like the old fashioned knitting guild or organisation-type clubs," Daly says.

"We don't have a member list, there's no fees. People just come and sit down. It's a low-pressure group and when you can't come you don't have to ring.

"There is a real variety - some are newbie knitters, some come for the company and everyone is welcome."

The group's youngest member is 14 and there are women in their 70s who attend the monthly knitting sessions.

The majority of participants, Daly says, are women in their 30s.

"The thing is knitting is one of those things that becomes addictive," the Mt Keira woman says.

"Once you start, you keep doing it and you can't help but get better at it."

Daly says people are attracted to knitting as a way of relaxation, to make gifts for family and friends or just as a chance of taking time out in a busy world.

Many of the people involved in Stitch'n'Bitch have their own online blogs set up to talk about the successes and frustrations of knitting as well as to share tips and hints.

The blogs are part of an ever-expanding global knitting community.

By logging onto www.stitchnbitch.org, knitters can communicate with those who share their passion in other countries.

"I have made internet friends in Hobart, Dubbo, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and New Zealand too," Daly says.

"People take photographs of their work. Different people talk about different things; families, problems, patterns, yarns and buying. It's a great blog for information sharing."

Daly encourages people to come along to A Stitch in Time, to look at the afternoon tea.

They'll also see how knitting is no longer just something grandmothers do at home but has become a contemporary art form.

Wollongong Stitch'n'Bitch's exhibition, A Stitch in Time, is at the Old Courthouse, Belmore Basin this weekend.

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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