World Wide Knit in Public Day
Far too many people think of knitting and crocheting as archaic hobbies that don’t have a place in today’s highly technical world. And yes, many picture a granny in a rocking chair bent over her work. Combatting this image and a perceived need for knitters to come together and enjoy each other’s company were behind Danielle Landes’ creation of World Wide Knit in Public Day (WWKIPDAY) in June 2005.
Fourteen years later, the event is going strong with a website and a volunteer organization behind it. Astrid Salling from Copenhagen, Denmark has been the lead organizer of WWKIPDAY since 2011. The website reports that in 2016 there were more than 1,000 separate events in 57 countries. Until 2014 WWKIPDAY took place from the second Saturday to the third Sunday of June each year, making it a week-long celebration of knitting and other fiber arts. Since 2015 it has been celebrated it on the second Saturday in June and this year that will be on June 8th. While the origin of the name denotes that it’s all about knitting, over the years it has become an inclusive event for all fiber lovers.
Now don’t get me wrong, grannies do still crochet doilies and knit mittens, and I can totally rock that stereotype myself. But we know that today’s knitting and crocheting is so much more vibrant and alive. Sharing this message is part of the Center for Knit and Crochet’s mission to preserve and promote the art, craft, and scholarship of knit and crochet, and related pursuits. So knitting (and crocheting) in public is an activity that we can totally get behind.
Over the years there have been local events in Australia, China, England, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, United States and so many more countries. If you want to find a Knit in Public site near you or to see where they are being held, there is a massive list by location on the WWKIPDAY website here. Do you want to host your own WWKIPDAY event? The website has instructions on how to do that and you can register your event on the website to make it easy for people to find you. If you’d like to be even more involved, check the “About” page of the website to find out how you can help to keep WWKIPDAY alive.
Wherever you are on June 8th, we wish you a happy World Wide Knit in Public Day!
All accompanying photographs can be found in the Center for Knit and Crochet’s Digital Collections Resource.
