It wasn’t long ago that knitting and crocheting were a popular pastime for women in the United States, as a matter of fact it was a pretty big industry as well. Obviously these were serious skills that were needed throughout the beginning of the country that took a back seat after the industrial revolution when machines made clothes faster and cheaper.

Even so knitting and crocheting were still very popular especially through the periods of the 1950’s to the 1970’s. There were yarn stores on every corner and it was commonplace to see a knitting basket in most living rooms with an ample supply of yarn and usually a half finished piece laying on top. Since the 70’s it’s a rarity to see any of these things in America. Sure, there are still women that enjoy the craft but they are few and far between these days.

During my first trip to Bangkok I found myself wandering the city most days, getting lost and enjoying the new sights I would see during my exploration. One day I stopped in a small beer bar to escape the afternoon heat and replenish myself with a nice cold beer when I saw something I hadn’t seen in almost 20 years. The cashier was intently crocheting rounded patterns and her friend was knitting them into a sweater.

The first thing that ran through my head was the fact that Bangkok holds the title of the hottest city on the planet followed by just what were these Thai women knitting sweaters for? Through my travels I ran into more and more Thai women knitting and crocheting. They were not only very good at it they wasted not one stitch. Sweater, hats, the occasional scarf and drink coasters…lots and lots of drink coasters.

The majority of knitting that I saw being done was by women from rural Thailand who were working in the tourist area’s to send money home. It wasn’t until my first trip up country to North East Thailand that I realized the truth behind the sweaters. From January to the middle of March it can get quite chilly at night. There was more to it than that of course. While spending time in rural Thailand over many trips it became apparent that many women still knitted and crocheted to clothe their babies and small children. Baby blankets, booties and hats to keep their little heads warm were just a few of the things they made.

While these crafts are slowly dying out in America they are still going strong among rural Thai’s but you can see it won’t be long before the slow decline begins here as well. All of Pookie’s Aunts and older cousins knit and crochet but Pookie and the younger family members can’t be bothered with it.

My last trip to Mukdahan had me spending some time in the village with the grand parents and Pookies cousin. Her cousin was 4 months pregnant at the time and she was furiously crocheting away. I only spent a few days in Mukdahan before moving on to Nakhon Phanom but I never once saw Pookie’s cousin without needles in her hand intently working on more pieces that would be knitted together at a later time.

Keep an eye out during your travels though Thailand and you’ll start to see it more and more, and if you are real lucky you might get a scarf or a hat out of the deal…I did.