The crafter is well known in the area for knitting brightly colored sweaters and socks for Edd, her retired teacher husband and current Whitehall city council member.

Last year she organized a social knitting club that meets at the Book Nook and Java Shop in Montague the first and third Saturdays of each month, from 1 to 3 p.m.

"It seemed like a way to get knitters together, for us to help each other," she says. "I like to see people get together and share the love of knitting. The bookstore was a natural choice for a meeting place, according to Whalen. "It's a good venue," she says. "Other groups meet there and it has comfortable seating."

Whalen, who has knitted for about 45 years, initially became interested in knitting when she saw someone knitting argyle socks. That's what she knitted first - a pair of socks - even though she cautions, "That's not the way to start!"

She really enjoyed the hobby and was soon knitting sweaters. Having an aunt and cousins who were "really good knitters" was a good motivation to continue.

"They kept me on the right track," she says. Early on she also won a prestigious award for one of her hand knitted sweaters, which she says was additional "positive reinforcement." Now, she says, "I don't believe there is anything I can't knit."

After teaching knitting classes for White Lake Area Community Education intermittently for about 10 years, last year Whalen also began to teach knitting to "at-risk" teens for an after school community program in Oceana County and for Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts in Muskegon.

Whalen regularly takes knitting classes herself, in order to observe others teach and learn new techniques. She has even asked her husband to act as a student, in order to learn how to be a better teacher. (The only male member of the club is Edd, who is knitting baby caps to donate to Mercy Health Partners birthing center.)

Last year Whalen attended several national conferences and this spring she is also scheduled to take a cruise where she has enrolled in 10 different knitting classes.

Whalen announced the formation of the club in her knitting class and alerted former students and others she knows that knit. The club has had a modest beginning, attracting up to nine White Lake area residents who come together to knit, get help and also talk about books and movies.

"They seem to like to get together," Whalen says. "We talk about a lot of things besides knitting. All sorts of things. People help each other. I am there as a resource."

One club member is Montague resident Martha Viars who began knitting about five years ago, after she was laid off from work.

"I am not a real energetic knitter," she says. "I just knit scarves and dishcloths and afghans for the nursing home." A self-taught knitter, she's benefited from the club. "She (Whalen) knows everything there is to know. If you get stuck she'll help you out. Plus, it's kind of nice to hang out with other knitters."

Barb Achterhoff of North Muskegon, another long-term knitter, learned of the club after taking a class from Whalen on knitting socks.

"Knitting socks was on my bucket list," she said. "The club is a little social thing that gets me out of the house a couple of Saturday afternoons a month. Just to sit and knit and have a cup of coffee and chitchat with the girls. Lynn's there to answer questions and it's cute that her husband is there knitting baby caps!

Whalen says that knitting has become more popular in recent years.

"There was a time when it was difficult to find books on knitting or even find yarn," she says. One reason for the interest is new trends like "fun fur scarves," which she says are "fairly simple and people can knit them without a lot of problems." Another reason may be the economy, according to Whalen. "The economy goes down, crafting goes up. People want luxury items and can create them much less expensively than they can buy them."

The next meeting of the social knitting club is Saturday, Feb. 6, from 1 to 3 p.m. Those interested in joining the club can simply show up or for more information, can contact Whalen at craftcoach@aol.com or 894-8617. Whalen says those who cross stitch or crochet are also welcome.