THINGS have changed in knitting circles. Whereas once children might have learned a few wobbly stitches while perched on their grandmother’s knee, now everyone is doing it – from Madonna to Sarah Jessica Parker, Russell Crowe to cartoon pooch Gromit.

I’d heard rumblings that knitting was back in vogue, but hadn’t realised how close it is now to the cutting edge of cool.

Across the Pond, Debbie Stoller has been leading an entire movement of hip young knitters with her New York Times bestseller Stitch ’n’ Bitch. Social knitting groups are springing up all over the place, and they have now touched down over here.

When I learned about the free lunchtime knitting classes held at Kube, on the College campus in Poole, I had to join in to see if I could brush up on my long-forgotten plains and purls. Like me, there were a few rusty returners, as well as those who’d never picked up a pair of needles in their life. There were talented sorts who are already selling their creations on handmade marketplace Etsy, while another had come from a nearby office for a bit of peace and quiet. There was even a bloke in our midst. Every-one, it seemed, was under 40.

At the helm was Junko (“knitting is almost an obsession with me”) Pavitt.

The established local artist has been knitting since the age of eight. She studied fashion design and dressmaking in Tokyo and has worked in the fashion industry both in Tokyo and Paris. Her knitted products have been sold around the world and it’s a rare day she’s seen without her clacking needles.

Sitting with a ball of wool on my lap I’d forgotten how restful such a sound was.

Little wonder knitting has been termed “the new yoga”.

“It’s very therapeutic as well as being creative,” said Junko. “And once you start it’s really easy to pick up.

“It’s great for children, too, and much better for them than playing computer games all day.”

As I began to cast on, I quickly fell into a gentle rhythm and surprisingly, the things I’d learned at a tender age were familiar again. For those who don’t have any knitting materials, just bring along three quid, and you can pick up wool and a pair of needles in a pretty gift bag.You can have a coffee while you work, and lunches start from £3.

But the inspiration is priceless.

With the different people around you, the ideas flow thick and fast. Junko brings lots of books, including those including Japanese-inspired designs.

And when it comes to designing different things, the only limit is your imagination.

Jumpers and scarves are fine but the cool cats are knitting everything from skull hats and hoodies to snowboarding accessories, intricate jewellery and even little figurines.

The time just flew by in the company of like-minded sorts. One student admitted it was the first time she had knitted and after an hour was “already addicted”. Another described it as being “transported away from everything”.

I love the idea of these knitting lunches. Because however hip and modern the knitting world is now, there remains something intrinsically old-fashioned and comforting at its heart.