PA S T I M E S Supplies from Classy Knits & Yarns. A CLOSE-‘KNIT’ COMMUNITY A traditional skill is alive and well in the hands of these capable local knitters By Kelly Damian Photos by April Massirio C hances are the sweater you’re wearing was produced by an industrial grade, automatic knitting machine. Yarn was placed in the feeder. The proper program was selected. Someone pushed the green button, and with dizzying speed, the needles followed the computer’s commands until, voilá, out popped your sweater. For Noël Carroll, Lisa Quijada, Katie Nickolls and Paola Becerra, the process of knitting couldn’t be more different. Each project for these knitters and crocheters begins with a flash of inspiration, the source of which might be a skein of luxurious cashmere or a complicated lace pattern that begs to be conquered. Every piece provides a different experience. Some are relaxing, whereas others become so frustrating they have to be set aside in the name of sanity. But once finished, that scarf, cowl, sweater or blanket is a source of great satisfaction. As Nickolls puts it: “Making something beautiful and functional from just sticks and strings is a great feeling.” They’re also part of a city filled with givers of handmade products. Bakersfield 104 Bakersfield Life Magazine Paola Becerra opened a shop on Etsy.com called “The Knitting Games,” and sells headbands seen here. December 2013 Noël Carroll shows off some of her stuffed animals she made. Katie Nickolls does her knitting at coffee shops, while running errands, and even at the movie theater. recently ranked No. 6 in the nation for “most generous metro areas,” according to a Craftsy.com survey. A MEMORY IN EVERY LOOP If Lisa Quijada’s blankets and beanies smell like wood smoke, it is because she has been working on them in the mountains, crocheting in the cabin while her family members are out hunting bear and deer. Hunting has worked its way into her crocheting in other ways as well. For her son, she has crocheted a camouflage blanket and all the hunters of her family wear her handmade beanies. When she was 10 years old, Quijada’s mother taught her to crochet, a skill that her mother learned from the generation before her. “One of my fondest memories is when my grandmother, mother, sister, daughter and I spent an evening together all crocheting,” she said. For Lisa, the process and the product go hand in hand, and she finds that her finished pieces hold memories from the places and events that were happening when she made them. ORIGINAL SOCIAL NETWORK Wherever Katie Nickolls goes, so goes her knitting: coffee shops, running errands, and even to the movie theater. When she saw “World War Z,” knitting helped her handle the stress of watching Brad Pitt battle the zombie hoards. Her knitting inevitably ends up being an icebreaker. “I always get people asking me questions about my projects when I’m knitting on-the-go,” Nickolls said. “A lot of people know someone who knits or crochets, even if they don’t themselves.” Being 26 years old, Nickolls is a child of the digital generation. As such, she uses online resources like YouTube and ravelry.com, but nothing replaces the knowledge and camaraderie that comes from working alongside other knitters. At Classy & and Yarns, her favorite part of her job is helping people with their projects. Her advice for beginners is two-fold. “Don’t run before you learn to walk and don’t get discouraged,” she said. “Unless you are a knitting masochist, don’t start your first project with a sweater.” THE CRAFTY LIFE One night, after finishing up an evening of games with her dart league, Noël Carroll went to her car to discover a tragedy: her car had been broken into and her knitting bag was stolen. The soon-to-be-disappointed thief made off with expensive yarns, works in progress, and favorite tools. She is grateful her stepgrandmother’s needle case was not in the bag. “It’s very precious to me. I use her crochet hooks all the time, and they remind me of her.” Carroll has been knitting for four years, but she brings a lifetime of crafting experience to her current hobby. For many years, she quilted, but those projects Continued on page 106 bakersfieldlife.com 105 Continued from page 105 Lisa Quijada often crochets in a mountain cabin while her family hunts. 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Now, whenever she goes out of town, she is sure to visit the local yarn shops, and lately she has contemplated using her oven for yarn storage. “I have a very patient husband,” she said, smiling. Paola Becerra has come a long way since knitting her first misshapen, neon-colored scarf at age 11. Recently, she opened a shop on Etsy.com called “The Knitting Games,” and sells handmade headbands. “When I first started, I would never have imagined people buying my headbands, or that I would be attempting a cardigan,” Becerra said. The thing she enjoys most about knitting is the way she gets completely absorbed in a project. “When you knit, it’s all you think about,” she said. Since she is a bit of a perfectionist, she sometimes spends just as much time pulling out her yarn as she spends looping it together, but still she finds knitting to be relaxing. Now, she gets restless riding in a car or turning on the TV without a project in her hands.