Knitting Leader

"I have tried so many things and jobs before this and I have never succeeded. I think it was because I didn’t enjoy what I was doing. But working as a knitting leader turned out to be my dream job. This is a beautiful job, but you also need to be very bold. I coordinate with a lot of people, and I am responsible for other people’s jobs. 

For me the most important thing about this knitting job is not having to leave my kids."

Knitting Leader

"My mom was an artisan. She knew how to embroider, she did crochet, and also sewing machines...she knew everything, and I asked her to teach me. When I was 7 years old, I knitted a very long white scarf for my dad. That was my first garment and since then I love knitting. 

Knitting is a lovely work for me. If I am not knitting, I don’t know what to do. When I am not knitting, I am watching knitting tutorials on my telephone trying to learn something new."

"Twenty years ago, I moved to Lima to work in a printing factory and eight years ago they fired me because of my age. That is when I resume knitting. My neighbour told me about this knitting group and the knitting leader taught me with much patience.

The difference between my previous job at the factory and this one is the pressure. I used to feel a lot of pressure, but now when I am knitting I feel relaxed. I have so much more patience because I love knitting."

"I take my knit with me wherever I go. When I am at the hospital waiting for the doctor, I am knitting, and I can wait for hours without even noticing it. I like this because I can knit everywhere.

Before this I worked cleaning houses, and I lost my job because of the pandemic. Now I knit at my own
speed, no one pressures me. I can manage my workload."

"This is a calm job. Once you learn how to do it right you can work from home. Before this I worked in a textile factory, and I had to be physically there. Everyday I had to spend on transportation to get there and spend hours in traffic jams, complying with entry and exit hours.

Now it is more peaceful, and I get to decide when and where to knit."

"I have been knitting since I was a little kid. I watched all my family knitting and learned from that.

Now I learn from the internet and tutorials. I watch new techniques and practice from there."

"In addition to this knitting job, I am a cosmetologist and I run my business from my house. I knit to relax. During the pandemic I was really stressed and depressed and I bought some yarn and started knitting. Now I knit in my free time when I don’t have clients.

When I am knitting, I forget about the world, I am not hungry, I am not tired, I just knit."

"I am a single mother, and this knitting job helps me afford my children's education.
I have three kids, the oldest is 18, the middle one is 16 and the youngest is 7 years old. The three of them are currently studying."

"I am using this income to finish building my house. When I receive payments, I immediately spend it on cement, sand, wood, etc. We live in a peri urban zone and my floor is only land, that is why I am building my cement floor.

I also bought a water tank for my house so I can save water and I don’t have to buy my water in buckets from the water truck.

I love this knitting job because I can take it home. Before this, when I had to go out to work, I would leave my children at home and come back at late hours. Now that they are studying at home because of the pandemic, this job allows me to be with them.

I lost my job because of the pandemic, and I was so bored staying at home, that is when my friend introduced me to this knitting group."

"My youngest daughter is seven years old. She always watches me knit and has been learning herself. She was knitting a scarf and she was feeling really proud, so she ended up presenting her knitting at her school’s talent show. Her teacher was really pleasantly surprised. 

The difference between this knitting job and other jobs I have had, is that now I don’t have to leave my family and I can take care of them while working from home."

"When I was in primary school, I had a labour training course where they taught me how to knit. After that I stopped knitting and I resumed it when I had my children and wanted to knit for them.

During the pandemic I couldn’t find any job and my husband’s employer cut his salary. That is when I started with this knitting job which has allowed me to support my family. Even now that my husband isn't fully back at his job, I taught him
how to knit and he is helping me with some of the garment’s finishings."

"My husband works as a taxi driver, when he doesn’t have money, I say to him “I have!” and we use that money to buy food, to fix his taxi, to pay the energy bills, or to send money to my mother. Before this knitting job I couldn’t afford those expenses.

In my spare time I knit for my children. They say “mom, I want a sweater” or “mom, I want a scarf” and I knit for them. 

My neighbour introduced me to this knitting group. These women taught me how to knit, I have learned so much. When someone learns something new we share that with each other, we support each other."