Hazel wins war of the needles

Oct 10 2004
Shetland Islander Hazel Tindall was crowned the world's fastest knitter after beating international competitors in London.



Mrs Tindall, 52, took the title with a world record 255 stitches in three minutes, far ahead of her closest challenger, Londoner Olga Pobedeskaya, who managed 214 stitches in the same time.
Defending champion and world record holder Wendy Moorby from West Yorkshire completed an all-British top three with 207 stitches.

Mother-of-two Mrs Tindall, who works as a school administrator, said knitting was a family tradition which she took up when she was four years old.

She said: "Winning the competition feels a bit unreal. The opposition was very stiff.
"I was brought up in a house where my grandmother and my auntie would always be knitting.
"They all needed to knit in order to clothe the children and put food on the table."

She added that, school holidays permitting, she would defende her title at the next World Speed Knitting Championships.

Competitors from across the UK and the world took part in the event which was held over three days during the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace.On Thursday, American author and designer Lily Chin defended her speed crochet title, setting a new world record with 86 treble crochets in three minutes.