Armed with balls of yarn and knitting needles, ISU students are picking up on the trend of younger people learning to knit.

It’s not difficult to unravel the secret of knitting’s success on campus — many students said knitting allows them to unwind in a sometimes stressful college environment.

Bridget Blair, junior in political science, has knitted for seven years. She said her knitting has improved greatly with experience. “I don’t even have to watch what I’m doing when I knit,” Blair said.

Blair, who said she knits mostly blankets and scarfs, learned her craft with her family and said she finds knitting is a cure for boredom.

“It gives me something to do when I’m watching TV and keeps me busy,” she said.

Arnhild Hillesland, an Ames resident who has been knitting for almost to 56 years, is a member of Heartland Knitters, a knitting guild in Ames that has existed for 13 years. Hillesland said she has seen a surge in the popularity of knitting in recent years.

“In the last couple of years it [knitting] has really gone up in interest,” Hillesland said.

Michael Ciccotti, sophomore in computer engineering, has knitted for about ten months. “It’s something that doesn’t require much thought,” Ciccotti said.

For Phil De Koster, freshman in sociology, knitting gives him a real sense of accomplishment. “To watch the pattern progress and grow, and to think of the time spent on it is a real cool feeling,” he said.

De Koster, who has knitted since last summer, said he initially became interested in knitting while working as a videographer and worship leader at a summer camp. “I saw a girl sitting and knitting and thought it would be interesting to try,” De Koster said.

For Hillesland, who has been to national knitting conferences, knitting is a way to clear her mind.

“I have to get everything out of my mind, then I can knit,” she said.

Hillesland said that she’d love to have students attend the guild, which meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of every month, in the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave.