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Classes knit humor into crafts
By LINDA M. LINONIS
hubbard
Sandra Horforth takes her volunteering seriously but approaches teaching knitting with a bit of humor.
A clerk at Hubbard Public Library, Horforth leads the Fortnightly Craft Group that meets from 5 to 8 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays in the library’s meeting room.
Horforth, of Hubbard, is a native of Chichester in the county of West Sussex, England, and came to the United States in 1997. The women in the craft group are glad she did.
In her English accent, she tells the group she’ll teach them the proper way to knit — the English way.
“It’s a bilingual knitting world,” she said with a laugh. Knitting stitches are the same; American and English terminology differ. For example, it’s “casting off” for the British and “binding off” for the Americans. Both refer to finishing the work.
The craft group started out in November with knitting as its focus; since then, it’s expanded to include crocheting and crafts of all kinds.
Horforth said she has been “knitting most of my life,” and wanted to “pass on the skill.” She added that “crafts are dying in this throw-away society.”
The group of women started out by knitting 36 caps for troops in Afghanistan. The women also made 19 pairs of booties for premature babies; they’re earmarked for a local hospital.
“The projects are about giving back to the community,” she said, adding that for beginning knitters, it was good to have a goal. Friends of the Library donated yarn for the projects.
Alice Weidner, president of Friends, said she appreciated the humor and reality of Horforth’s “UFO” (unfinished objects) project.
Some of the women sheepishly acknowledged starting and abandoning craft projects years ago. Those projects have been resurrected, and completion may be in sight.
Weidner, working on a hooked rug showing the motto “Home Sweet Home,” said she started it 10 years ago.
“This may end up a finished object now,” Weidner said.
The women agreed that the camaraderie, fellowship and encouragement from fellow crafters makes the difference. They have a “show and tell table” of finished projects.
Ann Jones said she came to the class after a friend asked her to complete an unfinished afghan.
“I couldn’t get it done,” she said, admitting she had lost the stitchery skill. But she saw the information on the class, and it’s helped. She completed that afghan and has crocheted eight to 10 others since.
“I love doing it,” she said, adding she’d rather be knitting than doing something such as housecleaning.
She also made a heirloom afghan for a niece who was getting married. “She told me she was thrilled to get it,” Jones said.
In the “teach and learn” mantra of the class, Jones was helping Lori Carson get the hang of stitches. Carson said her grandmother and mother knitted, and she wanted to continue that tradition.
Marjean Spencer said she “loved to craft,” and the library class was a great place. She sat with Fran Pirlo, and the two were trying to figure out the stitch on wire hangers covered with yarn.
“These hangers are terrific. ... Nothing falls off of them,” Pirlo said, noting her daughter made them some 37 years ago as a Girl Scout project.
Both women said the craft class was a welcome break from the errands and chores of everyday life. Men are welcome to participate.
Roni Bosze of Canfield saw an announcement of the class in The Vindicator and was thrilled. “I was looking for a class like this,” she said, adding she wanted to knit and crochet. “Sandra got me started. The camaraderie is wonderful,” she said.
Pat Klinich described Horforth as a “wonderful teacher.” She also noted that the craft sessions were “relaxing” and “a challenge to do different things.”