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Sock it to them!
Think knitting is sedate and harmless? JULIA BARD begs to differ – knitting has a long history of radicalism and rebellion

MY GRANDMOTHER arrived in London from Riga in 1912 aged 24. Along with the samovar, the brass Friday night candlesticks and three young children, she brought her skills at sewing, embroidery, crochet and knitting. She taught my mother to knit, and my mother taught me. 

When I was five, mum gave me short, plastic needles and a round ball of red wool. I learnt plain and purl, how to cast on and cast off, and how to pick up dropped stitches. 

I loved the feel of the yarn, the rhythm of the movements, the sound of the needles, and the way you could talk and listen while your hands were being creative and productive. 

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