I was privileged as a young child to have a mother and grandmothers who were avid fibre artists and taught me from a very young age the skills of knitting and crocheting. These skills have brought so much meaning into my life from helping me through boredom, postpartum, creating cute outfits for my kids, and providing income on the side when I’ve needed it.
It’s a skill I’ve taught individuals here and there but when I learned about the Comox Valley Neighbourhood Small Grants I saw an opportunity to have a wider impact in my community by teaching a beginners class in loom knitting.
Loom knitting is easy to learn and you can create almost anything using the looms. It’s also an affordable hobby as a full kit only costs $24 and yarn can be found widely available through thrift shops. Unlike other forms of knitting, it is also easy on the fingers and wrists making it an accessible art for the elderly or those with wrist injuries.
I held the workshop at the Dove Creek Hall which was close to home. I advertised on a couple of community groups by creating a Facebook Event. During the couple of months leading up to the workshop, I sourced most of the supplies from thrift stores saving on costs. The day of the workshop a friend picked up some coffee and hot chocolate from Tim Hortons as refreshments. I had forgotten to ask the hall what the code was to enter the building so at the last minute we improvised and did the workshop in the covered area outside.
In the end, that worked out perfectly as it was a pretty nice day and those who brought their kids had the playground to play at while they were learning. I kept the workshop to one project which was learning how to make winter hats. It was so fun to connect with everyone and so many great conversations were had. Afterward, participants sent me pictures of their finished projects and the new ones they were starting. I’m hoping after this project to keep the momentum going and host a monthly knitting circle with these ladies at my home.
I’m so grateful for this community grant and how it’s expanded my community and brought us ladies together. I’m hoping that the skills the participants learned can impact those in their community as well.
