On the last Thursday of each month, splashes of orange yarn, multicolored blankets, and various fabrics light up the Iowa City Public Library.
A few years ago, Beth Fisher, the Iowa City program librarian, created a community for artists to work on their crafts. People of varying experience levels come together under the umbrella of craft-making and share laughter and stories.
Fisher has spent 30 years dedicating herself to bettering the public library. She describes her favorite part of being a librarian as “helping people either learn something new or find the information they’re looking for…connecting a person with whatever it is they’re searching for is the best part of being a librarian.”
Ethan Hochstein, an attendee and experienced knitter, began test-knitting for small employers a year ago. His hands quickly stitched orange yarn into a thin design as he described how he first got into the art.
“I’ve been knitting for probably about 20 years,” Hochstein said. “When my mom started working for the family, my adopted great-grandmother taught me.”
Stories migrate around the room as everyone discussed how they learned to knit, crochet, and quilt. The nostalgia of the cozy winter days among their relatives next to the sewing machine or fingers wrapped in yarn fills the room.
Fisher’s interests are elusive and ever-changing. At the last knit and crochet event, Fisher began a needlepoint project, a skill similar to embroidery. While the event is called a knitting and crochet hangout, it is not limited to that. Attendees are encouraged to bring whatever craft they’re working on.
Fisher expressed the importance of community when crafting. She said the collaborative environment is inspiring and educational.
“This is what’s fun about these events—you learn things from people that you never thought about before,” Fisher said.
These events don’t only have social benefits, the attendees learn from one another’s projects and vast interests.
When looking for inspiration for new projects, members discuss numerous strategies. Hochstein looks to a knitting website, Ravelry.com.
Fisher said this website is akin to Pinterest — a platform creatives tend to frequent when looking for inspiration that can guide varying crafts and projects — but tailored to specifically serve the knitting community.
“It’s all yarns and patterns and and things people have knitten, and [you can] show off what you’ve knitted,” Fischer said.
Claire Bryant, an employee at the library and attendee at the event, was knitting a rose gold sparkly tank top at the event as she discussed the inspiration behind her crafts.
She finds the visual instruction very helpful, especially when beginning new projects.
Trends on social media tend to provoke new ideas for many of the event’s crocheters. Moreover, since the meeting is held in the public library, there are plenty of resources, books, and computers to inspire the search for art.
“Crafts are more fun with other people,” Fisher said.