Knitting is no longer the preserve of grannies who sit serenely in rocking chairs as they purl one.

The latest converts to this once-peaceful pastime could just as easily be found free-falling from 10,000ft.

A pair of long needles and a ball of wool are being taken anywhere and everywhere - the more hostile and remote, the better.

Whether it's jumping out of a plane or surfing on the crest of a wave, one woman hopes to take the world of knitting to a new, and extreme, dimension.

Nicki Watts has set up a web site encouraging people to send her photos of themselves knitting in weird places.

The site, which can be found at www.xtremeknitting.com, shows a tandem parachute jump over East Sussex.

Jane Buckle is knitting while attached to Mark Maynard as they hurtle through the air.

Another picture shows sportsman Charlie Jones sitting on his surfboard, head down and concentrating on his pattern.

On the site he declares: "When I get bored of waiting for a wave, I just whip out my needles and wool. It's my best holiday ever!"

Nicki, from Hastings, has been knitting since childhood, when her mother taught her.

She organises gatherings at her home known as "knit nights" and runs the business Laughing Hens, which sells wool and patterns online.

The mother-of-two said: "Knitting has come a long way from the image of dear old granny knitting acrylic baby smocks for the latest family arrival.

"In a busy world, knitting can be relaxing and compelling at the same time.

"That's why people such as actor Russell Crowe and singer Kelis are never without their needles between takes."

Nicki, 46, had the idea for extreme knitting while on holiday in Cornwall.

She was watching surfers and started to think about sports which could incorporate her needles and wool.

She wanted to make the hobby more funky and arranged for parachutists Jane and Mark to jump out of a plane with some knitting.

She now plans to run a competition on her web site in which people can send in their own unusual knitting pictures.

The strangest location every month will win a prize of wool and patterns for the entrant.

Nicki, a former sub-editor on the Daily Telegraph, started Laughing Hens ten months ago because she found it impossible to find the type of wool she wanted, such as natural and luxury yarns.

She said: "I was running the knit nights for a few friends.

We would get together at one of our houses and chat, have a glass of wine and sit around knitting.

"But there was nowhere to buy decent wool for the sort of things we wanted to make.

"We don't knit boring jumpers and socks. We create wonderful funky hats and scarves from natural fibres.

"I'm a terrible knitter but I really enjoy it and I love the social aspect of the knit nights.

"It's a bit like a book club but without having to read before you turn up.

"It's not a fuddy-duddy hobby.

"Knitting is such a creative and relaxing thing to do."

Nicki is also trying to get her daughters Camilla, 14, and Maddy, 12, interested in the hobby.

Her husband, David, is not too keen, however.

Nicki said: "He's not really a knitter. I think a lot of the husbands felt a bit threatened by the knit nights at first.

"They thought we were talking about them.

"But they needn't worry. We'd much rather talk about Johnny Depp."