Money for knitting and your yarn for free: NONIA looking for new knitters to carry on 96-year-old tradition

With 96 years of history in the rearview mirror, a group of knitters in Newfoundland and Labrador is looking for new talent.

The Newfoundland Outport Nursing and Industrial Association (NONIA) has been around since 1920. Initially, the group sold knitted goods to cover the costs of nurse's salaries in the province's rural communities.

Nearly a century later, the organization is looking for newcomers to continue its traditions.

"We need knitters for many different things," said Keelin O'Leary, manager of NONIA. "Over the last several decades, I would say, not as many people knit as used to."

A long history of knitting

While the group doesn't pay the salary of healthcare workers these days, NONIA has carved out its niche as a cottage industry. The retail shop is busiest during tourist season, selling authentic home-knitted goods to visitors from around the world. For the rest of the year, it relies on locals who have grown up with a tradition of wearing and gifting NONIA products.

The non-profit group has a unique structure. A volunteer board of directors and a staff of four to six employees manage freelance knitters around the province and beyond. They send out boxes of yarn to knitters, who in turn send back the finished product. The knitters are paid for their work and the products go to market.

"It would be hard to make a living on doing just knitting, but most of our knitters are people who love to knit," O'Leary said. "This enables them to knit as much as they want without having to worry about paying for the wool."

All dedicated knitters welcome

The employees match knitters' varying levels of experience and skill with different projects. When the finished product is sent back, they examine it to make sure it meets NONIA's standards.

"You need a love of knitting and an interest and willingness to knit on a fairly regular basis," O'Leary said.

While something simple, like a pair of mitts, will only net a knitter a few dollars, more complex items can fetch up to $60.

The group currently has around 150 knitters, but could provide work for upwards of 300, O'Leary said.

Anyone looking to get involved can contact NONIA at 1-877-753-8062 or drop by the shop at 286 Water Street.