Staff writer
Knitting classes in Hillsboro have attracted a variety of beginners, from elementary and middle school students to adults looking to learn a new skill.
Traci Robb of Hillsboro didn’t know anything about knitting before the classes began, so she is learning at the same time as her daughter, 7-year-old Sydney.
“We wanted something to do together,” Robb said.
Sydney is actually learning quicker than her mother, Robb said.
Other students had different motivations for taking the classes.
“I actually knew how to knit, but I was forgetting,” 11-year-old Elize Washington of Hillsboro said. “And I wanted to advance my knitting.”
She first became interested in knitting when she was 8 years old.
“I used to watch my nana knitting all the time,” she said.
She learned how to knit from her mentor, Taffy Edwards of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“It’s a very soothing thing, and it’s very easy to learn,” Washington said. “I’m making a scarf. It’s not going along very well, but I’m working.”
The knitting class attracted 14 students Monday to the Hillsboro City Building. The council room was barely big enough to fit the entire class.
Karen Ehrlich of Marion teaches the classes. She owns Down on the Corner at 162 W. Main St. in Marion.
Ehrlich said the students are making good progress halfway through the classes. Monday was the third class period, and three more remain.
She said she would be happy to teach an intermediate knitting class if there is interest. Anyone interested in more knitting classes can contact the Hillsboro Recreation Department at recreation@cityofhillsboro.net.