Knit one, purl two, local knit club welcomes you

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/12/2014 (4244 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Laura Harby is knitting things together nicely at Louis Riel Library.

That’s because the library, located at 1168 Dakota St., is home to the Knit Night Book Club.

Harby, 27, a customer service assistant at the branch who is also the club’s group leader and meeting facilitator, said the sessions are aimed at “everyone and anyone who knits, wants to knit or is otherwise engaged in crafting.”

“While we mainly discuss knitting books, crafters of all types are welcome,” said Harby, who currently lives in South Osborne and grew up in St. Vital, attending Collège Jeanne-Sauvé. “We have more than a few members who also crochet, quilt and sew.”

The club has around 12 registered members and eight or nine typically attend a session. This season’s meetings are scheduled to take place on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. until the summer break in June 2015. The next session will be held on Jan. 8, as the library will be closed on New Year’s Day.

“In general, the books we read for our meetings are in the non-fiction collection of knitting book patterns available at the Winnipeg Public Library. Each member will knit a pattern, or a few patterns, from a book of their choosing and then relay to the group their experience with the book, pattern and resulting project.”

“Meetings are typically broken down into new member introductions, a quick update on what each member has been working on in the past month, reviews of any books they have been using from the libraries and an overview of new skill development or goals for future challenges and projects. Meetings usually run about an hour in length and members are encouraged to bring not only their finished objects, but also any in-progress works to meetings. Most are very skilled in the art of knitting while carrying on a discussion,” she added.

And considering the solo nature of knitting, Harby said the club provides both a social outlet and a creative forum for its like-minded members.

“Knitting can be a very isolating pastime. It is great to be able to get out into the community and chat with others with similar interests. You can only vent your frustrations or expound the importance of gauge swatches so many times to a family member or partner with a glazed look on their face before you realize you need to redirect your enthusiasm,” Harby said.

“Knitting book clubs like ours are a great way to get inspired about project ideas, share resources, and challenge yourself to try new things. It’s also a great way to get feedback about the books we have in our collection.”

Harby said it’s important to note the club is an instructional knitting club: “If participants are new to knitting they can be supplied with resources to help them learn the basics, but we cannot teach them how to knit at meetings.”

There are still some spots available and there is no cost to join the club. To register, call 204-986-4573 or stop by the library. 

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com

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