This story from our archives is about a knitting competition in the 1970s.
We'll look at some forms of the word knit and other words that have a silent 'k'.
Tension increases as the seven top knitters in the land prepare their needles for combat.
On this final judgment day, speed and accuracy in following eight separate patterns, each
for 20 minutes, will produce a new National Knit-Off champion for 1971.
Notice that the word 'knit' is spelled with a silent 'k'.
All words in English that are spelled with 'kn' at the start
are pronounced with an 'n' sound.
knit, know
knife, knee
knob
knock, knot
knuckle
Back to knit.
Knit is a verb.
You knit clothes.
And someone who knits is called a knitter.
Tension increases as the seven top knitters in the land prepare their needles for combat.
One form of the verb knit is knitting.
Mrs Nazar, representing Western Australia with the controversial European technique,
has been knitting since she was a little girl of nine in her native Bavaria.
Listen for another use of the word knitting.
Do you really like knitting?
Oh, I love it.
Yes, I do really.
I love it.
But not under these circumstances, by any means.
Knitting can be used with a noun to make a compound noun such as knitting needle, knitting
wool or: These knitting competitions that we hold have
certainly inspired a lot of people to take up knitting again.
The adjective is knitted.
Top Tasmanian Mrs Newman keeps herself and her family in all knitted garments.
She had an early start at the age of four.
Knitted garments are knitted clothes.
Now who else is competing?
Mrs Greenwood, knitting for Victoria, began her practice of the craft 40 years ago with
two nails and a length of string.
The fastest pair of needles in the Northern Territory wielded by Mrs Smith of Alice Springs,
a cardigan and jumper specialist.
The hopes of South Australia are pinned on mother of three and grandmother of six, Mrs
Glasebrook, visiting Sydney for the first time in her life.
The hopes of South Australia are pinned on Mrs Glasebrook.
If you pin your hopes on someone, you hope they'll win.
Listen again.
The hopes of South Australia are pinned on mother of three and grandmother of six, Mrs
Glasebrook.
And who are Queenslanders pinning their hopes on?
Mrs Rope entered the contest just for fun and with her dextrous continental style, became
Queensland champion.
dextrous continental
style Dextrous means just what you can see - being
quick and skilled with your hands.
And here, continental means European.
So how dextrous is the New South Wales champion, Mrs Green?
How do you think you're going anyway?
Oh, not too good.
Nah.
You're being a bit pessimistic, aren't you?
Oh, no, I've made mistakes, I mean unforgivable mistakes.
So I've just gotta put up with it.
You must've done very well anyway to be your own State champion already and to be here
in the first place.
It might've been a fluke.
In the first place means originally or just first.
Listen again.
You must've done very well anyway to be your own State champion already and to be here
in the first place.
It might've been a fluke.
So knit, like other words starting with 'kn' has a silent 'k' such as knife or knee.
People who knit are knitters and the clothes made by them are described as knitted.
We'll leave the final word to Mrs Green, who says they'll go 'hard at it', meaning they'll
work hard or put in a big effort.
We're all just going hard at it and hoping for the best.