Emma (left) and Nia (right) posing with two knitted projects
Emma 24′ President of Stitchcraft and Nia 24′ Vice President of Stitchcraft
Meet our two crafty student employees Nia and Emma! They are both executive members of the Stitchcraft Club at SMCM. You may have noticed some knitted projects cozied up against everyday objects in and about the campus. Throughout the month of November, Stitchcraft will be yarn bombing the campus with the club’s carefully crafted projects. Keep an eye out as they add on new projects throughout the month of November!
Read on to learn about Stitchcraft, its wonderful leaders, and what exactly yarn bombing is.
Tell us a little bit about Stitchcraft and what it’s like being president/vp of the club?
Nia: Everyone comes together on Fridays in the leadership lab from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. We welcome a lot of different fiber arts. It’s a safe space and provides time for people to work on their projects and alsoooo gossip.
Emma: It can be a chatty club. This is my 3rd year on the exec board. When I first joined the main focus of the club was towards donating to charity, which is still happening but now the main focus these days is to create a community.This is the club’s 2nd time doing yarn bombing and the school really likes it. I see it as genuine community building and as a community based gathering club.
Earlier this year we visited Christina Allen and her farm. Had a yarn circle at her farm and she is known to be a respected member of the community. She even shared some dyed wool with the club.
What drew you into crafting in the first place, and how did you learn?
Nia: Emma taught me how! Emma drew me in. Emma said “come to the club I will teach you how to knit”
Emma: I taught Nia 3 years ago. I got into crocheting at a really young age. My grandmother taught me. I don’t remember when or how but I know she did. I learned to knit at my school when I was 11 years old. Through an elective where several older ladies came in and taught us how to knit. I was taught by a battalion of grandmas on how to knit, and haven’t stopped since. It was very fun for me as a child.
What exactly is yarn bombing?
Emma: A form of street art that involves putting up temporary or semi temporary knitted or crochet projects around public areas. They don’t last forever. Generally stay up for a month or so, then get taken down again.
Nia: Both a showcase of skill and addition of color to campus!
Emma: It’s also like a perversion of the general stereotype of who knits. That’s a general stereotype that it’s always your grandma that knits. But it’s making a point that it’s not just for old people. It’s for everyone! Very easy, we can teach you! Teaching is our biggest thing that I try to focus on. Our first meeting was like-
Nia: 40 people. There were so many people!
Emma: I was teaching people knitting, how to crochet at the same time . We’ve had people who embroider show up. Someone who does bobbin lace showed up. Anyone who wants to can just show up!
Nia: We had someone come in to just do origami one day! We have the space and we welcome you!
Emma: yarn bombing really does get the message out there that there are people on campus that do this. And we have the community and were more than happy to teach you! It’s a lot of fun, no one has expressed hatred just yet.
Describe your current project in three words!
Nia: I don’t have a project yet but my idea is: make little acorns!
Emma: I am working on a cardigan: soft, self-designed, it’s-going
Any words of wisdom for people who are newbies to the craft/stitching world?
Nia: Keep at it! Sometimes you may think “Oh i’m not good at this” or “I dropped the stitch”. If you keep trying you’ll get it eventually. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, if you don’t know what a stitch is just ASK! Also YOUTUBE tutorials!!!
Emma: Patience. You’re not going to be able to pick up your needles for the first time and knit a sock. Eventually you’ll pick them up and you’ll be able to knit a sock. You will get there someday and it does not come overnight. Also youtube tutorials.
pictures of knitted projects on campus and in the library
One goal that the club is working towards is to go to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. They also hope that yarn bombing will happen in the spring.
Everyone (Students, Staff and Faculty), beginners especially, is welcome to Stitchcraft meetings on Fridays in the leadership lab from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Emma & Nia do emphasize to staff and faculty that plan to attend meetings to be prepared for some college student banter!
Please welcome Stephanie Reyes, Research & Instruction Librarian for the Social Sciences and Circulation Services. Stephanie will be working with students and faculty to provide information literacy instruction and library support to the Political Science, Public Policy, Economics, Business Administration, Anthropology, and Sociology programs and the Core 101/301 seminars.
