Worldwide KNIT IN PUBLIC Day, June 9 in Pawtucket
Worldwide Knit in Public Day comes to Pawtucket on June 9
(Pawtucket, RI) For most, the ninth of June is just another spring day, with hopes that sunshine and fragrant, colorful blossoms abound.
For knitters worldwide, however, June 9 is a day to promote and celebrate knitting by bringing knitters together in public places to showcase their shared passion.
This June 9, Old Slater Mill hosts Pawtucket’s first ever KIP, the acronym used to identify official observances of Worldwide Knit in Public Day.
American knitter Danielle Landes launched Worldwide Knit in Public Day (WWKIP) in 2005. It began as a way for knitters to come together on a specific day to get all the closeted knitters out into the fresh air to enjoy each other’s company. It is also about showing the general public that knitting can be a community activity in a very distinct way.
Today WWKIP is the largest one-day knitting event in the world. It has grown from 25 local events around the world, to 800 worldwide events by 2008, in cities and towns in Australia, China, England, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, the United States and elsewhere.
And with its roots firmly planted in the spinning of yarn, Old Slater Mill is a perfect venue to host the first such gathering in Pawtucket.
Recognized as the birthplace of the American textile industry, Old Slater Mill is a frequent venue for fiber art endeavors, as well as the monthly host for RI Hook and Needle Guild meetings.
Further, June 9 is an important day at the historic site: the anniversary of the birth of its founder, Samuel Slater.
To celebrate all of these connections, Slater Mill is planning a special day in partnership with the Rhode Island Hook and Needle Guild – the community guild for knitters. The Guild will offer free drop-in knitting instruction to beginners, and advice to anyone who may have hit a snag in their practice. The Guild will have a limited supply of yarn, and Slater Mill some surplus knitting needles, to provide those who are interested in a trial run.
And the work you do that day will serve a fun purpose: a Yarn Bomb.
Even a little bit of instruction can put participants in motion toward contributing a small square for the Yarn Bomb, with a goal for the day of creating a super-sized cozy to drape over the historic 1840s Francis Turbine, on display on the Old Slater Mill campus.
“That very turbine powered the Old Slater Mill in the mid-19th century,” said Lori Urso, the museum’s executive director. “It’s a powerful relic and representative of early American industry.”
The Guild will also help coordinate a Yarn Swap that afternoon. It’s free to participate, and a quick way for knitters to freshen up their stashes.
According to Erika Davis, Program Director for Slater Mill, the Yarn Swap will begin around 1 p.m. To swap your yarn, be sure to label it with type, and amount, if it does not have its original labels. It must be clean and in good condition.
“Promoting knitting and celebrating the fiber arts at Slater Mill is such a natural fit.” Says Erika Davis, Program Director. “We love when the campus comes alive with artists and makers, it’s great for the community.”
Slater Mill will host its own yard sale of surplus fiber art and craft supplies, a free Berroco door-prize raffle, and will open the museum for free all day to recognize Samuel Slater’s birthday.
Spinners from the R.I. Spinners Guild will have their wheels out, demonstrating wheel and drop spinning as a group. And the URI Master Gardener volunteers, who steward the Sylvanus Brown House garden on the campus, will dole out garden advice, and collect soil samples for free analysis through URI Cooperative Extension Services.
Plouffe’s food truck will be on hand too, so you can refuel and make a day of it.
“The KIP is open to anyone, whether you knit or not. Come for the park, the museum, to watch the demos, or just to enjoy the campus,” Urso said. “If it’s raining, we’ll bring it inside to the second floor of the mill, which is also a great place to spend the day.”
Worldwide Knit in Public Day at Old Slater Mill is free and open to all on Sunday, June 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 67 Roosevelt Avenue in downtown Pawtucket RI. For more information, email info@slatermill.org, or call 401-725-8638 ext. 108.