Tie Formation and Cohesiveness in a Loosely Organized Group: Knitting Together

Ashley, a young mother of three, said her husband was watching the baby so that she could come to the knitting group. The yarn flew through her fingers as she knitted a baby kimono in rich tones of green, black, and blue. She said she knits until her arm gets sore; her husband rubs her arm and asks her why she knits so long. She says because she loves it. As this field note illustrates, knitters are enthusiastic about their craft. Knitters get together at knitting stores although they can practice their craft almost anywhere individually: in front of the television, on the bus, at rodeos or football games, even during class lectures. They can be regular individual customers at the knitting store; however, elements such as conversation style and meeting space make these people organize themselves as a group. Knitting is often compared metaphorically to life (Klass, 2008; Murphy, 2002); while both life and knitting follow patterns, sometimes one has to improvise and hope for the best. Knitting involves a process of interlocking loops of yarn by using long needles to create fabric without knots. We consider knitting as a metaphor for a loosely organized group. Holding the yarn with the right amount of tension is important in knitting. If the stitches are too tight, a garment may be too small or it may be difficult to maneuver the yarn on the needles. Conversely, if the stitches are too loose, a knitter runs the risk of "dropping" a stitch off the needle, creating a hole in the fabric. Likewise, the members of a group are looped together, with a leader wielding just the right amount of tension to make a strong fabric. This study explored the elements of group formation by using participant observation and interviews with two store-based knitting groups in a southwest metropolitan area in the United States. Following Small's (2009) study, we define tie formation as a process of connecting with another person, whether the connection is intentional or unintentional. Unlike group sports or activities in which tie formation is an essential part of success in their activities, studying a group of knitters illuminates the nature of tie formation in non-task oriented groups, since knitting does not require any other participants. Small specialty businesses such as knitting stores often have loyal customers who are likely to attend group events at the store. Family-based organizations are expected to be less formal and more concerned about the well-being of customers. In fact, Lansberg (1983) discusses how the norms and family values of unconditional love hinder family-owned business in their pursuit of profit and efficiency. Thus, one might think any groups stemming from a family-based store or business tend to be friendlier, more inclusive, and more cohesive than other groups which were not established by a family-owned business. However, non-family based organizations may have advantages for creating inclusive and cohesive groups, especially with the presence of an effective and expressive leader. Other types of groups, such as volunteer groups and small businesses, may benefit from the findings of this study. We will discuss how the nature of a loosely organized group is shaped by the group genealogy, group meeting space, and the presence of a designated leader. Background Women have traditionally gathered together to work on quilts in the American colonial and pioneer era. The time-consuming process of quilting was often shared by female friends and neighbors at quilting bees which are social gatherings where people get together to work on a quilt. With many hands sharing the stitching work, the task could be accomplished more quickly, with the added benefit of a social event for the women. Unlike quilting, knitting is a solitary activity and it does not require knitters to get together to produce goods quicker. Yet, many knitters still gather as a group and enjoy the benefit of social interactions. …