In the Loop, April 2024

April showers bring rainbows!  CKC Vice President, Rebecca Keyel, knitted this beautiful baby set for a close friend’s first child, and added it to CKC’s Crowdsourced Collection in 2019.  It is one of just seven baby items that have been preserved in CKC’s Crowdsourced Collection so far.  We hope you will add your baby knits, past and present, to CKC’s digital collection soon!  

CKC’s Annual Meeting is on Monday, May 13, at 8 PM Eastern.  Please register to attend!  We continue to search for new Directors so please apply! 

Don’t miss the opportunity to meet and knit with bestselling romance author, KWANA JACKSON, who will talk about her “Real Men Knit” romance series at CKC’s Virtual Craft Circle on May 18, 2024 at 8 PM Eastern.  Registration details below.  

As always, we wrap up the month with a wonderful assortment of articles from the wide world of knitting and crochet, brought to you by Anne Lies!

Enjoy!

Attend CKC’s Annual Meeting

The meeting will be hosted via Zoom.  If you are located in another time zone, please use this time zone converter to confirm the correct time for you.

To attend, please contact CKC’s Secretary, Katie Daugherty, at [email protected] by no later than Friday, May 3, 2024.  

All CKC Members who register by Friday, May 3, 2024 will receive an Agenda and Zoom link via email in time to attend the Annual Meeting. 

Mighty Oak from Amigurumi Squirrels and Crochet Woodland Set, a tableau created by Jennifer Oliverez for her book, The Big Acorn Race, 2016.  CKC’s Crowdsourced Collection #2019.031

We’re Adding New Directors This Year

Would you like to help CKC grow into a mighty oak?  

Please consider joining our team by applying to one of CKC’s new Director positions!  These new leadership positions will focus on developing and expanding CKC’s social media reach and membership.  You can find out more and apply online by visiting CKC’s website.  

Please direct any questions you have now about the positions or the application process to Nominating Committee Chair Marilyn Huset at [email protected].

We need your help to reach new audiences, expand CKC’s programs and digital collections, and better serve makers everywhere.  

VIRTUAL CRAFT CIRCLE NEWS & EVENTS

MEET BESTSELLING AUTHOR  KWANA JACKSON, at CKC’s Virtual Craft Circle on Thursday, May 16, at 8 PM Eastern.  

USA Today Bestselling Author, KWANA JACKSON is featured by Oprah Magazine, ShondaLand, and NPR on their Best Romance lists. A native New Yorker, Jackson, (who also writes as K.M. Jackson), spent her formative years on the ‘A’ train where she had two dreams: 1) to be a fashion designer and 2) to be a writer.

After spending over ten years designing women’s sportswear for various fashion houses, Jackson took the leap of faith and decided to pursue her other dream.  She currently lives (and writes) with her husband and twin sons in a suburb of New York.  You can find her online at www.kmjackson.com.

TO REGISTER FOR THIS PROGRAM:

Sign in to your CKC account and register for this and all the programs you want to attend in one quick and easy session by clicking on “Events” once you are signed in.

 A RECAP:  KNITTING THE RAINBOW

We were thrilled to welcome Austin Rivers, Founder, Board Chair, and President of Knit the Rainbow, “KTR”, (knittherainbow.org) on Thursday, April 18, 2024.  Austin spoke about how he established KTR in April of 2020 to provide warm, hand-knitted and -crocheted clothing, accessories, and related services to thousands of homeless and houseless LGBTQ+ youth in New York City and other major cities.  Austin shared that LGBTQ+ youth are 8 times more likely to experience homelessness than teens who do not identify as LGBTQ+.  Austin’s story of seeing the needs of this community and acting to alleviate suffering through craft is inspiring and informative.  

If you missed this event, you can watch Austin speak about starting Knit the Rainbow on the Kelly Clarkson Show, which aired on January 12, 2022:

Visit Knit the Rainbow (knittherainbow.org) to find out more about how you can get involved to support this effort!  It’s not too late!  KTR will need more warm clothes to distribute this coming winter.

Visit CKC’s Virtual Craft Circle webpage for information about our upcoming speakers.   

Membership Corner

• As a CKC Member, you are vital to CKC’s success. If you are interested in volunteering, contact us at [email protected], for more information and to learn about opportunities.
• To those who already volunteer — Thank You! 
• Is your membership current? Click here to check that and renew!

Don’t Be Shy!  Share Your News!!!

• Have you designed a new pattern, written an article, been invited to give a presentation, published a book, started a new craft group or craft initiative, been promoted in your guild?  Do you want to engage other CKC Members in what you are doing or in an event in your area? If you are interested in being featured, or have some news or events to share with CKC Members, click this link to fill out the form! 

Knitting and Crochet in the News

By Anne Lies

Record-setting stitchers

• TikTok star The Tattooed Knitter claims knitting world record.
  • The Tattooed Knitter on tiktok.
• Record for longest scarf crocheted by an individual sees challenger. Crochet yourself a mummy costume?

 Crocheting calculations

• Stitching it all together, or how Ephraim Ruttenberg ’25 got hooked on math and crochet. When theorems collide with fibers.
• Here’s some twisty topology from the National Museum of Mathematics (Momath):
• Momath on Instagram.
• Momath on Facebook.
• Online topological crochet classes.

Wild ones

• Knitters Unite Globally to Warm Orphaned Baby Rhinos this Winter.
• Check Out These Tiny Penguin Sweaters. Sadly, Alfred Date passed away in 2016. At the age of 110. I’m sure knitting helped with his longevity.

Connections to traditions?

• A good sweater is “one of the few items of clothing that directly connects you to the Earth and to very old traditions.” How one great sweater can last a lifetime. 
• Knitting came back, but not hairpin lace. Why? Renaissances and revivals and keeping crafts alive. 
• The long history or Faroese knitting: The Wool Islands.

From the sustainability desk

• Swedish Wool Revolution: Transforming Discarded Fibers into Sustainable Fashion with Innovative Worsted Yarn.
• Can Wool Help Your Garden? Clara Parkes says yes!

I think we already knew…

• Knitting Helps Keep Troubled Minds From Unraveling, Study Finds. “There’s potential in needles and yarn that the health system shouldn’t ignore.”

Miscellany

• Catch a glimpse of Conan O’Brien knitting on his new show.
• Considering the Perfect Knits of Coraline. Following up on Althea Crome.
• A Common Thread: Why younger generations are hooked on the art of crochet (wmtv15news.com)

Your Voice Matters!

We invite YOU to contribute to CKC’s monthly newsletter.  Please email your ideas, stories, and announcements to [email protected].  We hope to hear from you!

Please visit CKC’s Newsletter Archive to see past issues!  

Newsletter Contributors:

Katie Daugherty, Anne Lies, and Jennifer Lindsay

Center for Knit and Crochet, 517 Scott Street, Mazomanie, WI 53560