Community Knit

10 REASONS I JOINED A KNITTING CIRCLE

Feb 27, 2026

Let’s start with the irony: I don’t knit! But I do like a group, and I got invited to join this one because I do embroidery, I do sashiko. Needles, thread, they let me in. Now it’s where I am, every other Monday night. Here, the 10 reasons why this group works for me.

1. Monday night is brilliant for a group, as it’s not a big night for conflicting plans.

2. 5-7 pm is brilliant as a person can come after work, and also have dinner on the other end with someone waiting at home, should there be one. Everyone leaves at 7, no matter how good the convo is. It’s an unspoken part of the deal: if you host, your home will be empty by 7:15.

3. Every other week is just often enough to be regular without being too much.

4. It’s come if you can. RSVP your intentions (and cancellation) as a courtesy to the host.

5. Food & Drink: The host provides light snacks, the rest of us bring a bottle of something or supplemental food. There are some good cooks in our group, plus a bakery owner. Sometimes there’s pie. But no one is judgey about what we’re eating or has expectations. It’s one of the few social events on my calendar that really isn’t about the food.

6. Did I say bottle of something? Yes, there is wine. The plus side of this is obvious. The minus: wine and precise handwork not the most efficient pairing. The cocktail party vibe that kicks off the night sometimes means it takes a while to transition to sit ‘n knit. Eventually, though we make our way from kitchen to couch. The chat follows us, uninteruppted.

7. Conversation tends towards politics: national, local, and hyper-local. TV & movies, travel, book recos, work, and knitting. Sometimes someone brings a spouse along, or an adult child. Then we have a guest speaker. The fewer people who show, the more intimate the conversation gets. Bad weather can bring deep conversation.

8. Rotating Hosts: It took a while and a little begging to widen the hosting pool. But we have enough people that you only need to do it once or twice a year if it works like it should. We use Google Docs for sign-up, and one (retired) guy takes on secretarial duties to remind everyone where to go when. Of course, hosting (usually, hopefully) forces you to clean up your home, which is its hidden advantage. Some places are small, so we do an RSVP. But mostly it’s come if you can, which is really appealing for those of us with over-scheduled lives. Max, 20 people might show. Usually it’s 10-12, sometimes 5. Advantage is taken of the seasons. In the warm weather, knitting has occurred in backyards, on screened porches, even poolside. In winter, fireplaces add to the cozy.

9. There are some very, very good knitters in the group. One used to own a knitting shop. Some are just casual knitters, and then there’s me. The experts are generous and available when someone needs help. They knit fast. Their projects cause some of us shame at what we pull out of our bags. Some people forget to bring their knitting, or “forget” to bring their knitting, because the gathering is pretty fun either way. The other night, Cindy dropped by just to say hi; she had other plans but didn’t want to miss seeing people.

10. I am a joiner. I was in a book group for 20 years. These days, the knitting group suits me better. Creative company is a good kind to have.

And speaking of knitting…

My friend Nancy Kass (not in the knitting group!) made a bunch of these Norwegian Protest Hats, offering to all for the price of wool and a small charitable donation. I signed right up.