Every year on the second Saturday in June, knitters and crocheters across the globe gather together to celebrate fiber arts. In 2005, an avid knitter named Danielle Landis began World Wide Knit in Public Day (WWKIPDAY). Her goal was to bring fiber artists together in an otherwise solitary hobby. Landis sought to gain community among knitters, and prove that knitters come in all ages and demographics; it isn’t just your grandma’s craft! In 2005, there were 25 events held around the world. Just four years later, that number skyrocketed to 750! In less than a decade, the event has become the largest knitter-run event in the world!
Local events to celebrate this year’s World Wide Knit in Public Day on June 8, 2024, can be found on the WWKIPDAY website. Churches, community centers, and individuals can host their own Knit in Public event to come together in one place, bring their yarn, and celebrate the art of making with new and old fiber friends!
I personally love knitting outside of my home. As a mom of two young children, it’s difficult for me to make time to knit at home – my hands are always full! But on a park date, I have a bit more freedom to sneak in a few stitches here and there. Knitting in public also invites conversation; people will often ask what I’m making or stop to comment about my portable hobby that packs up so nicely in my diaper bag! I love knitting outdoors on a park bench, with the sound of my 4-year-old gleefully playing on the playground while my baby sits and eats his lunch.
World Wide Knit in Public Day with Skylark
With summer approaching, I love to bring along lightweight, portable knits that are easy to pick up and put down. Vanessa Coscarelli Black of VanessaKnits’ Harvest Cowl is an engaging, meditative knit that combines seed stitch with sections of beautiful feminine lace, and I’ve found the PERFECT yarn to knit it in, Skylark!
Skylark is a soft and springy fingering weight yarn that knits up beautifully with smaller needles for dense items like socks and has a soft drape as you increase your needle size. Its softness and stitch definition are incredible for the Harvest Cowl. It’s a single-ply 100% Superwash Wool, and I can’t wait to finish and block this knit to see the lace really bloom with Skylark. I personally love to knit a design like this in a lighter colorway to let the stitches really pop. I used Skylark in the Silver Dream colorway and I love how it’s knitting up.
Here are some color suggestions if you’re feeling unsure:
Buttermilk, Snow, and Spring Blue colorways
WWKIPDAY is about embracing the joy of knitting and taking your needles and yarn out in the fresh air! There is a commonality that exists between fiber art crafters – and bringing us together over a love of yarn and knitting makes it all the more special. Stock up on Skylark at 20% off for the month of June! And don’t forget to get outside and knit!
