North York’s Gibson House Museum hosted its first International Knit in Public Day on Saturday.
Maggie Newelle, Gibson House’s program officer said the event is a great opportunity for knitters and crocheters in the community to connect.
“For something that is normally a solitary activity that you would do at home, to go out and do it, it’s a bit of fun and camaraderie,” she said.
International Knit in Public Day was started by knitter Danielle Landes in 2005 as a way to bring knitters and crocheters together to work on their pieces in the company of others.
This year Gibson House hosted the event in collaboration with the Creation Loft from the North York Central Library.
It was also a beginner-friendly event, as the museum provided attendees with yarn and tools for new knitters and crocheters.
Kate Restivo, the librarian at the Creation Loft said newcomers are always welcomed and will be taught how to knit.
“People come who’ve never knitted and I’ll just teach them how to knit,” she said.
Restivo said she hopes for this to be an annual event, especially since the library offers knitting classes once a month.
Attendees were also encouraged to knit inside the museum if they wished to do so.
The museum also has its own demonstration looms and spinning wheels, where attendees are taught by museum staff how to weave on the looms and spin yarn on the wheels.