You know you've seen them.
Maybe not every day or every week, but you've seen them. You could be at a residence hall floor meeting, taking a walk in the park or having a cram session at the Main Library — and someone pulls out their yarn and needles.
Of course, MSU students who knit have heard the old-lady lines — a lot.
"I get grandma jokes all the time," psychology and German sophomore Claudia Molter said.
Molter has been knitting since her grandmother taught her at around age 9, and she said it's a crafty way to give gifts and make items to donate.
"My friends — probably because they do it, too — they all like it," she said. "A lot of times, people say, 'Oh, only old people do it,' or 'That's weird,' but I don't care."
Molter isn't alone in her labor of love. Students who enjoy knitting — from scarves to mittens, blankets and even baby booties — are defying stereotypes and making friends in the process.
Molter is friends with at least 10 other MSU students who enjoy a good knit stitch, including landscape architecture sophomore Matthew Hull.
Hull learned how to knit with three other friends at East Lansing High School during their senior year and has been making scarves, usually as gifts, ever since.
"Most of my friends that don't knit joke, 'That's where the ladies are at,' but my dad was probably the most confused about us learning how to knit," Hull said. "He just thought it was really interesting that a bunch of guys would learn to knit together — he didn't understand the appeal."
Hull and his friends, including no-preference freshman Tom Mcalvey, said the appeal of knitting is hanging out with friends and creating gifts for others. Hull and his knitting buddies — two are at other universities — made scarves for the girls attending the Valentine's Day party they organized during their senior year of high school.
"Basically the whole Valentine's Day party was a huge production, so I think scarves were just an extra sweetness factor," he said.
For Molter, knitting also is how she grew closer to her roommate, Lillian Collins, an interdisciplinary studies in social science and international studies sophomore. Molter and Collins met while they both lived in West Circle during their freshman year, and after discovering they have the same favorite movie — "Anne of Green Gables" — they made plans to watch it one Saturday night.
"When she came over, I was knitting, and then she pulled out her knitting, and we were like, 'Oh, you do that too!'" Molter said. "Now it's like a tradition — we will plan a night every few months to watch it and knit."
Along with the gift-giving opportunities that come with knitting — Molter is currently working on a blanket to give as a wedding gift — the pair also has started a group that knits for homeless shelters.
"It's a good way to help someone who is needy who needs to stay warm," said Molter, who uses homespun yarn because it's soft and toasty.
Knitting can even cross age barriers.
Child development sophomore Andrea Hanley began knitting after she went to Ivelise's Yarn Shop in Benton Harbor with her friend's boyfriend, who wanted to knit a present for his girlfriend.
"We went to this cute, little knitting shop that was run by this cute old woman," said Hanley, who was in her sophomore year of high school at the time. "It almost seemed like a library — people would just come in and bring their knitting stuff and get help if they needed."
Though her trip was initially a one-time affair, Hanley said she enjoyed making friends with the older women and would make frequent return visits.
"It's not like I was needing friends — it was just this interesting new social scene," Hanley said.
Even with the friendship it can spark, knitting isn't for everyone — especially the impatient, Hanley said.
"It takes a long time, so you definitely have to enjoy the process more and the 'getting done' less," she said. "It helps me work on my delayed gratification. My high school history teacher used to tell me I had issues with delayed gratification, so I think this is some sort of therapy."
