The Student News Website of Susquehannock High School,   Glen Rock, Pennsylvania.

SHS Courier

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The Student News Website of Susquehannock High School,   Glen Rock, Pennsylvania.

SHS Courier

The Student News Website of Susquehannock High School,   Glen Rock, Pennsylvania.

SHS Courier

Knitting a bright future

The Knitting Club began with science teacher Barbara Nealon and some of her AP students knitting sweaters for penguins affected by last year’s New Zealand oil spill in October.

The oil-soaked birds would pick at their feathers and skin and bite themselves to death. But if they wore sweaters, the birds would pick at the knitting instead.

The whole world rushed to send the penguins their jumpers; so much response occurred that Nealon’s efforts became superfluous. By the time the students had finished the sweaters, no more penguins needed them.

Since then the Knitting Club, which meets every Tuesday after school, has gone official, creating mittens, towels, hats, baby blankets, and even a knitted DNA strand. Everything it creates has the same simple mantra as the sweaters: knit for others.

Come next August, the Knitting Club is liable to end.A DNA strand weaved into a scarf is the group's most recent project.

Of the 8 students who regularly attend Knitting Club, “three or four” are underclassmen, according to Ellie Lesko, who founded the Knitting Club with her friend. Both Lesko and her friend are seniors.

“I hope Mrs. Nealon’s going to continue it [after I’m gone]; we’re trying to get underclassmen interested,” explained Lesko.

The Knitting Club has gained some shout-outs from Warrior TV, but Nealon says that the Club has no need to expand.

“If you come, you come. If you can’t, you can’t,” said Nealon. “It’s a very [casual] experience. We’re here, and we sit and knit and talk.”

Knitting itself is a very casual activity, consisting of just two stitches: the knit and the purl, or switching a loop from one needle to the other and then creating a new loop to replace that one. From these two movements, the knitters can make every structure imaginable.

The relaxed, simple nature of the club gives it a better chance for a diverse membership. “I’m surprised that people are actually interested, [and] are joining,” said Lesko. “People are like, ‘I didn’t know we had a Knitting Club! I want to join Knitting Club!’”

The air of ease and kindness around the Knitting Club is intoxicating. And for that attribute, this club deserves to survive, with four members or forty-nine.

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Knitting a bright future