Knitting has been part of Min Whyman’s life since she can remember, writes Kate Fraser .

’12 blankets later, I am loving knitting again.’ Min Whyman

Should Christchurch woman Min Whyman ever find herself domiciled in a Welsh village, she might find she has earned the sobriquet Min the Knit

“Before I had needles of my own, I knew how to knit, because as far back as I can remember, I was watching my mother and my grandmother knitting.”

The task was from necessity, but quality was paramount.

“My grandmother knitted so beautifully, so perfectly, that one year her handknitted entries in the A and P show’s competition were rejected: ‘Mrs Scott-Foley’s handknits are commercially made’ was the reason given.”

Over the many years of purls and plains and fancy stitches, there appears to be nothing Whyman has not knitted. Standout memories include a bathing suit (worn once), Mary Quant dresses, long pants for small boys, cushions, rugs and blankets.

Blankets? As in for a bed?

“To fit a double bed. And the first blanket I made was enough to get me knitting again, after a long spell when I didn’t make a thing.

“For a number of years I was overseas, working in Istanbul then Tokyo, and in-between setting up home in southwest France, and it was all so busy.

“Then one night, a few years after I had returned to New Zealand, I was watching the Tour de France on late- night television – because it was in France, not because I am fascinated by cycling – and as I sat watching the familiar landscapes flash by, I became more and more miserable.

“It was probably a combination of nostalgia and feeling the cold.”

So she fossicked out her circular knitting needle/s and her stash of extravagant merino-possum- cashmere yarn and began to knit a comforter. The race went on and on and the comforter grew and grew – into a blanket.

“And 12 blankets later, I am loving knitting again. I am creating, designing, even writing about it and my knitted blankets have become sought-after gifts. To date they have found homes in Qatar, Auckland, Christchurch and London. Knitters like to share their discoveries, their skills and their patterns.

“It is so pleasing to see people having fun and getting pleasure from knitting. The first few steps need another knitter to show how it is done, and a knitting buddy is always useful, especially when it comes to solving pattern problems, so my advice is, join a group or find a buddy and just do it.”