Knitting has got cool, very cool. Lots of people are at it, and lots more want to learn.

Here’s your quick guide to the cool world of knitting, and some of the best people out there doing it.

Guerilla knitting

Guerilla knitting is a new and fast-growing phenomenon. Just to be clear, this is a gorilla knitting:

And this is guerilla knitting:

When it comes to guerilla knitters there is a lady out there, @deadlyknitshade, who is the brains behind Knit the City, “a crack team of woolly warriors” and “part of an ongoing campaign to guerrilla knit the city of London, and beyond that the world.” A founder of Stitch and Bitch London, she describes herself as a ‘graffiti knitter’. She’s making our world a woollier, more colourful place and we salute her.

 

Knitting podcasts with Electric Sheep  

In this New Wave knitting world there is a weekly knitting podcast from Electric Sheep.  This isn’t a meek little lamb giving updates on patterns and the softer side of knitting, this is a feisty sheep not afraid to pour scorn on journalists at national newspapers who dare to refer to knitting groups as “new book clubs of the middle classes” or imply that girls sit around knitting and drinking cosmopolitains. Here she is, and she’s well worth a listen.

Knitting blogs

There are lots of knitters around the world who swap knitting needles for keyboards and write some great blogs on the subject.

Anna Hrachovec lives and knits in Manhattan. She’s the founder of Mochimochi land, the land of small knitted things, and writes a blog dedicated to them. From Tiny Carrot:

To Tiny Dino:

From Knitting Knoobie who is knitting and blogging away in New York, to Knit Purl Gurl in Pennsylvania who blogs and has her own Fiber ‘Tudes radio show,  there are lots of funny, inspirational and educational knitting blogs out there.

Knitters on Twitter

Twitter is buzzing with twittering knitters. And they’re not talking tea cosies and blankets. @SugarPlumFerret is a grad student who says she can make cosies for condoms and dildos.

@knittingwithrat says she doesn’t knit for rats, but with her brood called Eli Archie and Cooper.

@GingerKnits  - “I knit and I am ginger” - has a good knitting blog, and makes a fine pair of socks.

We’re also fans of @Knitworks and @Knitting. And when there’s a vicar that knits, you have to follow her too @KnittingVicar,

@craftycrafty is a great blogazine with a dedicated knitting section. Enjoy the tongue-in-cheek vegan fox stole they’ve featured on one of their latest blog posts.

Etsy

Etsy is huge, and knitters all over the world are selling their woolly wares on it. These Star Wars characters are the brainchild of knitting genius Lucy Ravenscar and have had a lot of web attention. Check out her blog where you can see all the other characters she designs. Here’s Chewbacca:

And here’s Yoda.

@Knitworks is keeping ahead of the knitting curve with her iPod and mobile phone socks.

And here’s the modern take on the tradtional tea cosy. A coffee cup holder, available here on Etsy.

Folksy

I like the Folksy site a lot, and the folk on it like knitting a lot. Nothing grannyish about this knitted dog called Hugo by Sara Carr.

Canny knitters are getting in on the cupcake trend. Crazy Dazy Knits is selling patterns to make these on Folksy.

At Ooh.com we’re jumping on the yarn-filled bandwagon and we want to help spread the woolly word. There are lots of people out there who want to learn to knit, so if you offer knitting courses or classes, list them for free on Ooh.com!