DomiknitrixOver recent years the fact that you are a knitter is no longer a shameful admission. Gone are the days of feeling like Mary no life if you spend your hours cosily sitting in front of the television knitting that new fluffy angora jumper.

Knitting books are bought by the dozen by the library, and new titles are pounced upon with glee. Being an avid knitter myself I have always found the whole knitting process quietly therapeutic. Lately you may have noticed that fiction writers have jumped upon the knitting bandwagon. These books generally revolve around a knitting group providing an outlet for woman to share their lives, and their passion for craft.

The knitting circle by Ann Hood finds Mary Baxter, a mother who has recently lost her child, unable to pursue the activities that used to be her primary source of comfort. She takes up knitting and joins a knitting circle in her hometown  - not knowing that it will change her life.

Young Adult books have also joined the trend, with the series Chicks with sticks by Elizabeth Lenhard, about 4 friends who form a knitting club and support each other through the perils of growing up.

Not to be left out, Picture books for younger children are also starting to feature knitting. The scarves by Daniela Bunge is about a child who brings separated grandparents back together by knitting them scarves and inviting them to ice skate on a frozen lake.

Knitting in all these stories is seen as a way of healing, of bringing people together and also hopefully, creating something gorgeous