Knitted Art By Nicole Gastonguay

This woman is knitting at a coffee shop. Knitting is often done in a group with other knitters. Although knitting may have had a reputation as hobby one does alone, it is becoming more and more of a social activity. Knitting guilds and other knitting groups or knitting clubs are becoming exceedingly popular.
One of the earliest known examples of knitting was finely decorated cotton socks found in Egypt in the end of the first millennium AD. The first knitting trade guild was started in Paris in 1527. With the invention of the knitting machine, however, knitting "by hand" became a useful but non-essential craft. Similar to quilting, spinning, and needlepoint, knitting became a social activity.
Hand-knitting has gone into and out of fashion many times in the last two centuries, and at the turn of the 21st century it is enjoying a revival. According to the industry group Craft Yarn Council of America, the number of women knitters in the United States age 25–35 increased 150% in the two years between 2002 and 2004. The latest incarnation is less about the "make-do and mend" attitude of the 1940s and early 50s and more about making a statement about individuality as well as developing an innate sense of community.
Within the 1940s, English knitting rose in popularity while Continental knitting fell. This is due to the fact that continental knitting originated within Germany and was spread by immigrants. During WWII, continental knitting fell out of style due to its relationship with Germany. It wasn't until Elizabeth Zimmermann publicized and popularized continental knitting in the 1980s that it again was popularized.