On Saturday 13 June, Woolwich Works joins makers around the world for World Wide Stitch In Public Day, with a free celebration of craft, community and creativity. The day will include a community stitch circle, mini marketplace, yarn swap, panel discussion and a community call-out to help crochet bunting for the venue’s summer courtyard. We sat down with one of the organisers of World Stitch Day, Allison Thistlewood, to discuss the upcoming event.
You moved from Canada to the UK. Was knitting really the thing that helped turn a new country into a home?
Knitting was definitely the thing that helped me get settled faster. It was a way to meet people, either at a knit night or a retreat and have at least one point of connection. Exploring London’s various yarn shops was also a way to learn my way around the city. And the UK has so many different sheep breeds so it was fun finding out about local yarns too. Apparently my interests are very limited!
You’ve described yourself as a “creator of community” in the knitting world. What is it about yarn and needles that gets people talking to complete strangers?
I think it’s that you have that shared interest as something in common as a starting point. It gives you something to talk about without having to be personal: oh that’s a lovely jumper, what pattern is it? What yarn did you use? Who is the designer? Did you find that technique difficult? Etc… There’s also an easy almost instant intimacy in a stitching circle in that you talk easily in close proximity while your eyes are focused on your project.
World Wide Stitch in Public Day is all about making creativity visible. What do you think happens when people see hundreds of others stitching together in public?
Well it’s a declaration, isn’t it? You’re saying, I’m a knitter / crocheter / maker. I’m creative. And so many of these creative pursuits are things that we tend to do in isolation. Doing it in public invites a conversation, as well as recognition from others who might say I do that too.
As much as we might do these crafts at home alone, sometimes you just want to be around other people, whether you’re super chatty or not. We really found this to be the case with the Stitch Nights we host weekly at Woolwich Works, which we introduced in January of last year as a social activity to bring people together in those dark months. Sometimes people come and socialise without doing any stitching at all and that’s okay too!
In a world obsessed with speed and screens, why do you think crafts like knitting and crochet are having such a resurgence?
Here’s the thing: slower crafts have never gone away. They’ve always been there, but there’s a natural ebb and flow in terms of the seasonality of them being picked up, or the circumstances. I think what we’re seeing now is a continued knock on effect from the pandemic, which saw a huge number of people discovering craft for the first time or rediscovering old hobbies. People remember how it felt to slow down, and how calming it was to not be on their phones or screens. There’s a mindfulness in making one stitch at a time and a satisfaction that you’re taking one or two sticks and some string and creating something out of nothing. There’s a recognition in the benefits to mental health that people value. And it’s cheaper than therapy!
You’ve organised festivals, yarn crawls, retreats and events. What’s the most memorable friendship or connection you’ve seen emerge through knitting?
Some of my closest friends are those that I’ve made through stitch circles and knit nights. The best emails or feedback I get are from people who came to an event or retreat on their own and but left with a group of new friends that they’ve continued to meet up with. I think we’re all starving for real human connections – especially as we get older it can be harder to make new friends as an adult. Knitting and stitching helps to introduce and build those connections.
For someone who’s never picked up a pair of needles and thinks knitting ‘isn’t for them’, what’s your pitch in 30 seconds?
Like anything else, knitting takes practice and you need to build that muscle memory, so stick with it! Figure out how you learn best too – is it someone watching you and being nearby to answer questions or is it watching and pausing and replaying a video tutorial or looking at pictures in book? Everyone is different. Sometimes people say that they feel too uncoordinated for knitting with two sticks, to which I say maybe start with crochet, which just has one stick – a hook – to contend with. Your creative journey awaits!