One challenge for those of us who like to knit and crochet (and sew, quilt or engage in other crafting) is the sedentary nature of these activities. To combat this I take time every day to walk or bike so that I can stay healthy and enjoy many more years of knitting and crocheting.
This week's exercise plan included a walk to the local public library - a favorite place of mine. I log a couple miles with each trip to the library, so I headed out after work one day to return some books, and spend time in the crochet and knitting book section.
Sometimes it's just nice to "window shop" and look at patterns, yarns and more without spending any money. The public library is a great place to accomplish this!
I spent more than 30-minutes browsing books by multiple authors and selected 2 books on shawls (not pictured here). I'm a little obsessed with knitted shawls at the moment, so I indulged myself with some daydreaming. I have a generous "yarn stash" here at home so I'm able to try out many of the projects I find in these books.
While at the library, I also enjoy browsing the pages of the latest Vogue Knitting magazine, which my library carries in the magazine section. There are so many lovely designs in each issue and we can often get a sneak peek into what's up and coming in fiber fashion in its pages.
Another wonderful aspect of my local library is the availability of Libby - the online library app. I borrow audiobooks, eBooks - even Crochet magazines! I signed up to receive a reminder when new issues arrive so I can borrow them and browse the patterns and other articles. In fact, 2 new ones arrived this week.
Musings around my most recent yarn crawl experience got me thinking about how I "interface" with the activities of knitting and crocheting. I recalled that joke about knitting/crocheting and shopping for yarn being 2 different and distinct hobbies, while noticing how quickly we can stockpile more yarn than we could use in 3 lifetimes. These thoughts inspired me to consider other options for activities related to yarn.
While I will still shop for and purchase yarn and related supplies (I found a gorgeous knitted poncho pattern in one of the books I checked out of the library that I want to knit for myself!), I have decided to incorporate more intentional, non-shopping activities around knitting, crocheting and yarn. There are many options, including knitting or crocheting circles, yarn "book" clubs and spending time in the fiber arts section of the local library. I'd also like to put together a monthly Yarn Bingo event in this area to raise money for a variety of good causes. I already volunteer at the local VA Medical Center and bring yarn crafts to the Veterans there as part of the Creative and Expressive Arts program that they have for Veterans.
There's a LOT we can do that is in alignment with our love for crochet, knitting and yarn, and I will still support my local yarn shops with my dollars and presence (and I encourage others to as well). BUT,... I want to highlight that we have many other options to engage our yarn hobbies - many of which don't require that we spend any money.
Combined - activities that cost money and those that are free - we build stronger and more resilient knitting/crochet communities for all.
(C) 2023 Stitch 'n Dish
NOTE: this blog post was inspired by a post on Toni Lipsey's BLOG highlighting 10 free crochet sites. On her list, #10 was the local library! Thanks Toni - and I agree!!
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