Knitting Olympics

It was such a joy to swing by the New York outpost of the the Knitting Olympics. It's hard for me to describe events like this without sounding like a cornball. I get very mushy and change the world-ish when I see a group of knitters huddled around a table crafting together. Suddenly what was just a cafe with a startling number of beret-wearers in attendance becomes a super fun and lively communitity of crafters.

So much of that all-too-rare combination of cool and kind is thanks to organizer, Corinna Mantlo. Corinna is good with her hands (she's a part-time mechanic!) and clearly loves knitting, but the process is about something bigger for her, too. When she moved back to New York from New Orleans, Corinna started Booze and Yarn. Not any old Stitch 'N' Bitch, Booze and Yarn is a creative collective that is welcoming and generous: while everyone gets tipsy and chats, Corinna helps knitters fix their drunken mistakes and reminds you how to cast-off when you've reached the end of your scarf. Even complete greenhorns can show up, and Corinna will give you a free lesson. And another when you show up next week. And again the week after that. She does this just for the sake of alcohol, craftiness, and community; what's not to love?

Yoga mat carriers, sweaters, and conjoined teddy bears complete, each project-finisher got a custom-made "Knitting Olympics" patch. I have a feeling, though, that even the non-finishers didn't walk away empty-handed. Seriously, these knitters rock. Not least of all because many of the knitting projects were donated to Sue Rock Originals Everyone, a charity that benefits the survivors of domestic violence and their children.