'LOOSE KNIT' VERY FUNNY, BUT NOT TOO ENLIGHTENING.(LIFE & LEISURE)(Theater review)

Byline: MARY CAMPBELL - Associated Press

NEW YORK -- In theater, women have congregated for mutual support and a bit of "dirty-laundry" airing at everywhere from consciousness-raising groups to beauty parlors.

Now, in "Loose Knit," a comedy which opened Wednesday night at the off-Broadway Second Stage Theater, they're gathering in a weekly knitting group.

Forget about their knitting skills. This bunch isn't too tightly wrapped.

One hopes that playwright Theresa Rebeck had only entertainment and not enlightenment in mind. The joke-laden "Loose Knit" is amusing, although the writing occasionally drops a stitch. There are some wonderful …