If you love knitting (or crochet) then you need to start a knitting group! Get together with a group of like-minded fiber friends and get all the tips and tricks to make sure your knitting group is successful!
A piece of behind the scenes blogger business before we get down to it, if you are a crochet-er, don’t leave! While this post is called How to Start a Knitting Group, it could just as easily have been called How to Start a Crochet Group. The Google gods made me choose one, but all the advice (with the exception of hooks vs. needles is exactly the same). We are equal opportunity fiber lovers here, friends!
If you’ve been wanting to start a knitting group or crochet group, but have been putting it off or aren’t sure quite where to start, I’ve got you covered. A friend of mine and I started a knitting club almost 15 years ago and we got together regularly for years until eventually too many people moved. But these knitters, who I would not have met otherwise, became some of my dearest friends, they came to my wedding, I even just had coffee with one of them last week!
Really, there’s nothing like a common interest to cement a group of friends which I think is why knitting groups and crochet groups are so popular.
I know, you might be wondering, do I really need instructions for gathering friends? I guess if you didn’t, you would already have started your knitting group, right? It’s not rocket science, but there are definitely some tips and tricks to make sure your knitting circle is fun and successful.
Why should I start a knitting group?
There are so many benefits to starting a knitting group or crochet group:
- It’s a great way to meet new people, having a common interest automatically gives you something to talk about so it’s not awkward.
- You get to work on your WIP’s. I know we all wish we had more knit or crochet time, having a designated group meeting time makes working on your projects a priority.
- You can learn new skills, a knitting club is a great way to get help when you’re stuck or need advice and you return the favor when a friend is stuck.
- It’s a great way to take a break. I usually bring a not-too-complicated project to knit night so I can work and also chit chat.
- It’s fun!
How do I start a knitting group?
Step 1: Find some friends
Chances are you know at least one other person already who knits or crochets so start there. Invite them to join and ask them to invite someone else.
You can also post on your facebook page or your local parents’ group or neighborhood group, I think you’ll be surprised how many other people have been wanting to join a knitting group too!
Don’t forget the dudes! Men crochet and knit too, don’t only ask your female friends and acquaintances.
Step 2: Find a venue
Some knitting groups take turns holding their meetings at the members’ houses. Each time one person hosts and it rotates. This is a great way to get everyone involved and not make any one person do too much work.
Other knitting groups prefer to meetup in one consistent place. In our town, I know of a knitting group that meets at a local coffee shop, one that meets at a bar/restaurant in the evenings, and one that meets at the public library. These are all great choices! Just make sure to reserve the space ahead of time, if you can.
Step 3: Set a consistent schedule
This is where my knitting group failed and I think, what ultimately led to it ending. We never set a consistent schedule and so it was really difficult to find dates that worked for everyone. We aimed for once a month but it was tough and because we waited to figure out dates, someone always had something else going on.
Instead, pick a certain day of the week and time and stick to it. Some groups meet weekly, some monthly and go with the first Monday of the month, for example. Whatever you do, stick to it so members can plan around your meetings.
Also, make SURE you set and confirm the next meeting before you leave the current one. This will make it much more likely that people will show up next time!
Step 4: Decide what you’re going to do at your meetings
Will you have snacks and wine? Coffee and muffins? Order takeout? Take it very seriously and only knit/crochet and drink water? That all depends on the vibe of your knitting group and it’s totally up to you but it’s a good idea to make sure everyone has the same expectations.
Other options for knitting group activities include:
- Themed meetings where you all find and work on projects on a changing theme like shawls, or mittens, or cashmere, or the color green.
- Common patterns, some knitting groups will pick one pattern that they all work on at the same time. This can be really fun and a great way to give and get help. You can rotate who chooses the patterns or vote to pick!
- Donate your work, there are lots of knitting groups and crochet clubs that pick a charity and use their meeting times to work on projects specifically for that charity, then they gather up their finished objects and donate them all together. (Check out my post on where to donate your work for some great charities to work with)
Tips and Tricks for a Successful Knitting Group
- Like any group of friends, sometimes things work great and sometimes it’s not a good fit. If your knitting group or crochet group is not enjoyable, that’s ok. Not everyone gets along all the time, it’s just life. Don’t force it and let yourself feel ok about changing something up or finding another group.
- Keep it consistent, I know I already said this, but this in my number one piece of advice for keeping a knitting club alive.
- Be flexible, people may come and go, show up a couple times and then ghost, it happens, over time you’ll eventually end up with a core group of consistent members, but don’t stress out if things are fluid at first.
- Likewise, in addition to being flexible, be accepting, if you’re a knitting group and someone wants to bring crochet, let them! If someone brings along a scrapbooking project one week, that’s ok! We even had one of our members bring her wedding invitations to craft and assemble once. We all ended up helping and it was fun. In my opinion, making is making and there’s something special about being creative in a group.
How do I join an existing Knitting Group?
Maybe you’re not interested in starting your own knit or crochet group. That’s ok. The BEST place to look for existing local knitting groups is at your local yarn store. Every local yarn store I’ve ever been to hosts its own knit/crochet groups. So go ahead and ask the owner when they meet and stop in!
I know it might seem intimidating to show up and be the new person but in my experience these groups are always really welcoming and are used to new people joining. You can do it!
Other places to look for a knitting group to join include:
- A community bulletin board at your local library or coffee shop or community center
- Your local parents’ facebook group
- You neighborhood page or group
- The local newspaper
- At work (some knitting clubs meet at lunchtime!)
- Google – try searching “knitting group near me” and see if anything pops up! I got tons of results when I tried this.
If you liked this, you may also like some of my other posts…
- Gingerbread House and Gingerbread Man Knitting Patterns - December 13, 2024
- Peppermint Candy Cane Wreath Knitting Pattern - December 9, 2024
- Gingerbread Wreath Knitting Pattern - December 9, 2024
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