Scottish woman named fastest knitter

MINNEAPOLIS , Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A woman from the Scottish island town of Aith has been named the world's fastest knitter after completing 262 stitches in three minutes at a Minneapolis event.

Hazel Tindall, 55, left the rest of the competitors at the World Knitting Championships in her woolly wake, with the next fastest knitter lagging behind with only 243 stitches in three minutes, The Scotsman reported Tuesday.

"I think you need to have good technique and move your hands as little as possible," said Tindall, who began knitting at 4 years of age.

The speedy knitting contest was the first since London's 2004 Knitting and Stitching Show, where Tindall was first crowned the world's fastest when she knitted 255 stitches in three minutes.

Tindall said that while she may be tops on the contest circuit, there are a number of knitters back home who could match her stitch for stitch.

"There's plenty of Shetlanders that can knit fast," she said. "I'm sure that I could be challenged, but sadly probably not by anyone under 50 because hand knitting is a skill which is rapidly vanishing."