Beware of swarms of kids with needles, as knitting club is back and bigger than ever. Knitting Club is in its second year and the number of participants has risen dramatically from last year’s two or three regulars to 20 to 25 this year.

You may think in order to join knitting club you must be an experienced knitter, but in fact Alex Robbins, a captain, learned to knit from attending the every Tuesday meetings held in Ms. Anna Overbo’s room after school. “I learned to knit in knitting club actually,” said Robbins, “Ms. Overbo taught me.”

Aside from knitting, crocheting is offered as well. “I haven’t stopped to teach people to crochet, but I have crocheted some strange small animals,” said Ms. Overbo, the knitting club adviser.

The club actually started a four years ago when a different teacher started a knitting club, but the club died out after a year, until Ms. Overbo decided to rejuvenate it last year. “Four years ago a teacher had knitting [club] after school,” said Ms. Overbo, “but I couldn’t do it because of debate.”

Although this club has just begun again, Ms. Overbo and other knitters are not new to the knitting process. Ms. Overbo learned to knit when she was young from her grandma and then picked it up again in college when she became roommates with an avid knitter. Valentina Benito, a freshman, has also been crocheting for a while, but it is new to the club this year and really enjoying it. “I like the fact that it is just a club to hang out with friends.” said Benito.

A fun group to hang out with friends is exactly how Robbins would describe it as well, adding that there are actually other guys in knitting club this year too. Ms. Overbo prefers for it to be called Knitting Team. “It makes it sound like we compete, but we don’t,” said Ms. Overbo.

Aside form having fun each person hopes to get something different out of their experience in knitting club. Benito hopes to crochet a long scarf while Robbins hopes to finish his hat. ” I really hope that people actually do leave with the skill,” said Ms. Overbo, “so they they can actually say ‘I know how to knit.'”

With three captains: Alex Robbins, Karen Vaulde and Kelsey Mhyre, the Knitting Club is looking to have a fun year and learn new things. Ms. Overbo is also looking forward to the year and is looking to follow a newly found motto: “Knit free or die.”