Great-grandmother May Kelbie has a growing social circle and a thriving TikTok community thanks to her love of knitting – and a little help from her grandson Jason.
May, of Aberdeen, has become something of an overnight sensation after she started live streaming on TikTok in January.
Her knitting and crochet videos are attracting hundreds of viewers every evening who work along with her to create beautiful woollen items and have a natter online.
She live streams on TikTok at mayze054 from 8pm to 10pm every night except Sunday.
The great-grandmother, who also knits hats for newborn babies at the Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, has viewers come all over the world including Canada, Northern Ireland, Ukraine, and Uganda.
“I love crocheting but knitting is my main passion,” said May, who is 70 this year.
“My grandson said I was wasted at home, sitting knitting. Like every woman, I don’t make enough time for myself.
“I’m always doing something around the house and I have my three dogs to take out.
“I’d be cleaning the kitchen or tidying up, putting the ironing away, or anything.
‘My grandson said I should be knitting on TikTok’
“But my grandson is a gamer on Twitch and he said, ‘you should be doing that, there’s a life out there’.
“He said, ‘I’ll put you on Twitch, Grandma, and try and build up your following’.
“My great-granddaughter was born on the 3rd of December, so I was knitting anyway.
“Twitch was the first platform I went on to because I believe TikTok wants you to have 800 to 1,000 people following you.
“Then a couple of weeks ago there was an invitation from TikTok.
“Since I’ve been on TikTok, it’s a totally different world altogether. There are hundreds of people watching.
“I’ve had over 1,000 people on, maybe about 500 people actually viewing, and quite a lot of viewers all at one time.
Knitting on TikTok offers enjoyable company for May
“It’s a pleasure because I wouldn’t normally sit down for two hours and knit.
“I enjoy the company I get on there. There are lots of different people from different places.
“I always ask them, ‘where do you come from? Is there anything I can help you with? Any crocheting or knitting?’
“My grandson does the administration for me and makes sure my site is safe and there’s not anybody stupid coming on, saying rude or irresponsible things.”
As well as taking on admin duties, May’s grandson set up her Facebook page, Knitting With May.
May explained one of her favourite aspects of streaming her knitting is weaving new connections with people online.
She added: “People will talk about anything, from their family, to what they’re doing, so it’s like a little circle. I’m building up a circle of friends.
“I have live chat. It tells me how many people are viewing me and how many people have come to my site. Sometimes it’s over 1,000 people.
“Sometimes I think to myself, am I sitting here talking to myself? Now I know how a radio presenter feels.”
‘You have your own little knitting hacks’
May says what makes her stream attractive to knitting fans is showing her viewers the whole process, all the way from start to finish.
The great-grandmother continued: “I’d say the thing that’s different with me is I’m giving people the whole item to knit.
“It’s not just me showing them how to do the plain stitch or purl or how to cast on.
“I take them through it. I start from the beginning and say, ‘this is how I cast on’.
“Casting on with your thumb doesn’t give you a neat finish.
“One of the ladies asked me, ‘how do you get that neat finish?’ and I said, ‘I cast on with both needles and in the next row I work into the back of the knitting, not just the front’.
“That gives a neater edge. You have your own little hacks.”
“If I’m only halfway through when I’m doing my feed, which is two hours, I’ll leave the knitting until the next night and then I’ll take them through the next step.”
May demonstrates how to sew the hat or other item together.
She said: “I’ll get a bodkin and then I’ll actually sit and sew it. I prefer to sew it from the front, so it’s seamless. People enjoy all these little tips.”
Knitting octopus toys for premature babies
May, who works part-time for a double glazing firm, has raised funds for mental health awareness and is now knitting for the neonatal unit in Aberdeen.
As well as donating hats for newborns, she also knits other, more unusual creations for the babies…
“On TikTok the other ladies asked if I’d tried making an octopus, there are YouTube videos about it.
“They said they are good for premature babies as they twiddle with the tentacles. It feels like the umbilical cord and it keeps them from touching the wires and tubes.
“You have to make the octopuses from cotton as it has no fibres.”
How does May feel about being a TikTok sensation?
“I wish I was a sensation!” she laughs. “I’m enjoying it. I enjoy talking to people.
“It’s so rewarding when they say it’s brilliant being here. I feel as though they are in the room beside me.
“And if they are talking to me and they are enjoying what I’m doing then I love it.
“I’m not selling anything or asking people to buy anything.
“I believe giving is better than receiving. At my age, I feel if I can change someone’s life and give someone inspiration to do this… it’s a dying art.
“Not enough people knit. Doing this live thing is one of the best things I’ve ever done.”
“I feel like there are not many grannies now that pass on their knowledge.
“I have four children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
“My oldest great-grandson will turn 11 in a few weeks, which is crazy to think about.
“When I was at school I got a seamstress O level because I was making my own things.
“When I left I got offered an apprenticeship with Scott the Kiltmakers but instead of doing that, I ended up going to a chartered accountants and being a clerk.
“Now I always find at my age, anything new, I’m up for it, I enjoy it.
“I rush home, get the dogs out, get myself fed and then sit down, get out my needles and enjoy sitting there talking.”
Find mayze054 on TikTok and Knitting With May on Facebook.
@mayze054 Teaching normal stitch & pearl stitch on my live catch me Monday to Saturday 8pm – 10pm uk time grab your needles & come say hello 👋🏻❤️ #aberdeen #aberdeenshire #scotland #knitting #knittok #knitwear #fyp #knittersoftiktok #tutorial #tutorials #LIVEhighlights #TikTokLIVE #LIVE
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