Some of the women spin, while others knit or crochet, each working on a different project. Edie Arcand hosts the Tuesday night gathering at her home. She learned to spin several years ago at the Seattle Zoo and has since taken several classes.

It makes me feel good, she says. It's a soothing thing.

Then she added, It's better than a psychiatrist, I tell you.

Throughout the year, the women attend classes and share what they've learned with the group. They're also there for advice on tough projects.

There's usually somebody here who knows, Gray says.

They're also pretty good at recruiting.

Meg Downey learned to spin from her neighbor, AnnaLucy Keller.

Keller, who learned to knit from her grandmother as a child during World War II, also helped Arcand learn more about her spinning wheel.

I always thought what she did was neat, Downey says.

Now, Downey is helping others with their knitting projects, and she enjoys spinning.

Gray was a weaver until she decided to try spinning 20 years ago after she saw spinners at a fair.

All the spinners were relaxed and calm, she says. Spinning is relaxing.

In addition to spinning and knitting together, the women also travel together to different fairs, or on shopping trips to find new products to spin.

Sometimes, one woman will spin a new type of material, then trade with another woman, who will knit her something with it.

Then you get a surprise back, Arcand says.

The women have seen a recent surge in knitting. Even the movie stars are getting in on the action, they say.

Keller has seen the rise in popularity previously.

It comes and goes, and people like us just keep plugging along, she says.

And, regardless of trends, they plan on knitting and spinning together for a long time.

When you find someone with the same obsession as you do, it's nice to stick together, spinner and knitter Becky Stevens says.

Passion for knitting — Pocatello Idaho State Journal