» . « ,.- <J l .4 \ î '- ? . - ; .. ¿ « Ä ö iz lä T he P ortland O bserver • J anuary 17, 1996 Œhe ^înrtlanb (Oh sem er Knitting Makes Comeback As Pastime Knitting, an activity that faded during the 1970s and 1980s, ¡scorn ing back, especially among younger people. In an age when people spend hours on computers, both working and play ing, some people seem to long for simpler pastimes. “We have definitely noticed an interest with many young profession als,” said Carol Wiggington, presi dent o f the Knitting Guild o f Amer ica. “ It is a portable hobby, soothing to the mind and you wind up with a quality product.” The guild, which started with 550 members in 1984, now has more than 10,000, and has seen a 15 percent increase in attendance each year at its convention in March. Every year the convention draws a greater number o f women iri their late 20s and early 30s, Wiggington said. In addition to attending conven tions, many young knitters are com ing together in small groups to share the pleasure o f the craft and to form friendships. In Washington, for example, eight women age 26 to 34 gather once a month in Georgetown to show o ff the sweaters they have worked on since their last meeting. “T hat’s so cool” was shouted from all comers o f the room recently as one knitter, Tanya Ford, pul led out her handmade Christ mas gifts from a shopping bag. In Ohio, Pam Kelly, 36, said she valued her knitting group for the social contacts it provided. “At the time I joined the group, I was a stay- at-home mom,” said the Rev. Kelly, now a Lutheran pastor. The group gave her a way to meet people who share her interest. In New York, where the Big Ap ple Knitting Guild has seen its mem bership jum p to 176 this year from five in 1990, Lily Chin, a33-year-old member who works in the fashion industry, attributes the rise to “a great deal more younger blood” in the group. Knitting clubs are even appearing on co lleg e cam puses. L yndsley WiIkerson, 2 1, a junior at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pa., helped start a group last year that has grown to 60 members, from 25. Recently, the group held a knit-a-thon where 10 members made items to donate to a local homeless shelter. Knitters can also find cam arade rie on line, where there are more than 200 chat rooms and knitting-related sites. Knitting’s origins are murky, said Anne Macdonald, au thorof“No Idle Hands: The Social History o f American Knitting.” What is known is that different techniques began in different parts o f the world and were gradually introduced in the United States. By the turn o f the 19th c e n tu ry, M acdonald said, knitting b e cam e fash io n ab le in the U nited S tates as peo p le m oved from sim ple garm en ts to th o se w ith d e c o ra tiv e touches. D uring the D e p re ssio n , the n u m ber o f k n itte rs in c re a se d b ecau se it was o ften c h e a p e r to knit clothes than to buy them . Knitting lost its allure in the 70s and 80s as more and more women began to work outside the home, leaving them less free time. While many o f the new knitters are women, some men are also learn ing o f its pleasures. Scott Overbay, 36, a member o f the Eastside Knit ting Guild in Seattle, said that his grandmother taught him to knit when he was 9, and that he started to knit again about six years ago when he was unable to buy the sweater he wanted. He is now teaching three male friends to knit. A survey in 1994 survey by Crafts ‘n Things, a magazine, showed that people enjoyed crafts like knitting - with its lulling, repetitious motions - because they relieved stress Yam-store owners are hoping to entice younger knitters with items like novelty yam s - including those that glitter or have fake fur - in addi tion to classics like cashmere and Angora wool. M an y d e s ig n e r s , in c lu d in g D o n n a K a ra n a n d A d r ie n n e V itta d in i, featu re brightly c o l ored y am s in p a tte rn s for c lo th ing aim ed at y o u n g e r people, in c lu d in g c ro p p e d sw e a te rs and knitted back p ack s. “Color of Money” Host Writes How To Guide Kelvin Boston learned o f a des perate need for financial planning in the black community the painful way - by watching his client, a 37-year- old widow, disregard his financial advice, squander $350,000 in insur ance money and end up penniless. “Before her husband’s passing, she was used to living from paycheck to paycheck. T hat’s what made her comfortable,” said Boston, now one o f the country’s most famous finan cial advisers. “At that moment, I knew I had a new mission: to help my clients understand and correct their attitudes toward wealth.” Boston, a Detroit resident and cre ator o f a syndicated TV show about money matters, has spent two de cades encouraging blacks to invest in stocks, mutual funds, real estate and their own businesses. His 5-year-old show, “The Color o f Money,” reaches an estimated two million viewers nationwide through PBS and Black Entertainment Tele vision. He has written financial plans for hundreds ofc lients. His new book, “Smart Money Moves for African Americans,” recently went on sale in bookstores nationwide. “Smart Money M oves” is a 300- page how-to book that emphasizes reducing debt and investing wisely. In it, Boston urges black people to build wealth and live “with financial dignity.” The black community, Boston said, needs his advice. Just because people have better jobs and more education than their parents doesn’t mean that their balance sheets are sound. “Businesses finally respect A fri can-American purchasing power, but not oureconom ic clout,” Boston said from his New Center office. “ We have little net worth in banks, mutual funds, real estate and businesses. As A merica’s No. 1 minority, we have the opportunity to put our financial house in order.” Boston’s own financial house — or, more appropriately, his media em pire- is in tip-top shape. He’s chief executive officer at Boston Media, which publishes The Color of Money Journal, a companion magazine for the show. He also publishes Corporate Detroit magazine, a monthly for local entrepreneurs and executives. Did he mention he’s also director ofthe Detroit-based investment group Calvert New Africa Mutual Fund? “ I’m pretty busy,” Boston said with a shrug. Boston says “Smart Money M oves” is the first “holistic” book on b'ack investment because it is the only financial guide that incorpo rates cultural, political and religious nuances. The target audience is any one who lives in a household making $25,000 to $50,000 a year. Boston, a quiet man who pals around with New Age friends, de scribes him self as “more spiritual than religious.” In his book, he tries to dismantle the idea that blacks should be content with poverty or postpone prosperity until they reach heaven. “The majority o f African-Ameri can churchgoers were taught that money was the root o f all evil and to store their treasures up in heaven, Boston said. He points out that on average, a white household owns $3,420 in stock mutual funds, but a black household, on average, owns $115 in these in vestments. And while the interest income at white homes averages $7,308 a year, black households av erage $872 annually. The crux o f Boston’s wealth-build ing plan, he said, is confidence: Afri can Americans must believe they can play the stock market and win. That they can open businesses and profit. That they can buy a home and watch it appreciate. “ We can all rattle o ff the names o f 10 or 20 white entrepreneurs, from Bill Gates to Ted Turner, but many o f us can’t name one black entrepre neur or millionaire,” Boston said. “By not knowing who our financial heroes are, we tell others that we don’t have any.” A Salvation Army official gives comfort to a little girl who tries on a warm winter jacket during the annual “Coats for Kids“ event. The annual program, which provided about 2,000 coats for needy children, hopes to increase the number next year. Jefferson High School Class O f 1956 is planning its 40 Year Reunion. If you are a class member or know o f one's w here abouts, Please contact: Dale Hing, 644-7179 or Marlene (Goebel) Iverson, 690-2037. •'/itt/fi , rfntw rt/ieem en f LaTasha Marie Harris LaTasha Marie I (arris, the daughter o f Debra Van Valkenberg ot Portland and Antonio I larris o f Vancouver, was bom New Year s Day, Jan. 1, 1996 at Emanuel Hospital in Portland, She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 19 and a-half inches tall. Baby LaTasha has three brothers and sisters, Antonio, Taneshia and Bridgette. BACK TO BASICS! Prices Effective January 17 through January 23 ,1 9 9 6 at your nearby Safeway store. MET ÆALTHY DINNER L O W F A I • O N LY 4 4 0 m g S O D IU M Budget Gourmet Frozen Dinners • 11 -0u n ce • SAVE UP TO 1.8 2 EACH ____THFp'W' GOURM ET. LIGHT AND HEALTHY DINNER ONLY 240 CALORIES • LOW. 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