Knit Happens

In coffee shops, libraries and maker spaces, people are gathering to create community, one project at a time

By McKenzie Watson-Fore

Right now is a golden time to be a crafter in Boulder County, with different craft meetups available nearly every day of the week. While some of these craft groups have been meeting for years, others are relatively new, offering opportunities for artists and makers to gather around a shared table and craft in community. 

Sourdough certainly saw its 15 minutes in recent years, and collaging, painting and weaving are on the rise. “Old school” crafts, including knitting, crocheting and needlepoint, have enjoyed a renewed heyday, some with refreshed designs and sometimes off-color humor. Crafting allows a tangible sense of progress while also grounding the body through material stimulation. “Interest in knitting and crocheting was happening before,” notes Jenifer Sher, who teaches classes at Lula Faye Fiber, “and the pandemic took it to another level.” 

Today, many crafters are eager to gather together and work on projects in the company of other crafters. “Of course, you can just put on Netflix and do your craft by yourself,” observes Michelle Solomon, who organizes Boulder Beatknits. “But a lot of people have decided that’s kind of lonely. People are looking for connection.” 

While the term “knitting circle” might be a recent advent, as early as the 14th century in Europe, men—yes, men—would come together to knit, talk and share knowledge. Meeting in person allows people to show off their projects-in-progress and ask for help if they encounter a problem. While there are seemingly endless online tutorials and #knitfluencers, nothing replaces the benefit of learning or practicing in person with other makers. Every stitching circle doubles as a skill share, where beginners can study the work of more advanced crafters and pick up new techniques. 

 “You can ask, ‘Where did I go wrong?’ and another person can look at your knitting and show you how to fix it,” Solomon says. “You get to engage with both the person and the crafted work on a tangible level.”

These groups provide excellent entry points to crafting for those who have never done it before, and they’re also an ideal way to meet people with similar hobbies in a low-stakes social environment. “Some people see us and think, ‘Oh, I wish I could do that,’” says Dylan Barlow, co-organizer of the Community Craft Club, which meets the first and third Wednesday at Trident Booksellers and Cafe. “I try to make sure people know we can teach them. We’ve had dozens of people come for their first time and learn to crochet.” Barlow says the Craft Club at Trident has attracted watercolor painters, jewelry makers, even someone who makes art out of pop tabs. Needle felters and scrapbookers sometimes join in. 

For folks who need supplies, a monthly Sunday afternoon Craft Lounge meets at Lula Faye Fiber, which has been Boulder’s only brick-and-mortar yarn shop since it opened in 2022. Lula Faye highlights local yarn brands alongside a wide range of tools. “The craft lounge spills over into other areas of the business,” Sher points out. Proprietor Nathalie Smith adds, “We just had someone come sit with us during their lunch break for moral support while they cast on.” Several other shops provide supplies and community throughout the county, including Longmont Yarn Shoppe, Fingerplay Studio in Louisville and Maverick Fiber Arts in Lafayette. Boulder’s longtime go-to, Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins, shuttered its shop but remains a strong online source for materials and occasionally holds warehouse sales at Schacht Spindle Company.

Hustle culture and the rise of the gig economy have led to a hyper-commodified, “always-be-optimizing” mindset, wherein many people feel pressure to monetize their hobbies. Crafting groups remain a playful, nonhierarchical space where people simply appreciate the work—and the process that goes into it—as artisans and makers, rather than consumers or assessors. 

“Groups like this interrupt our reliance on the internet,” says Carolyn Rowinski, a knitter and mainstay at many of Boulder’s fiber meetups. Sher adds, “This is analog, all the way.”

Boulder Beatknits is one of Boulder’s most well-established crafting groups, having met in various locations for the past ten years. “You want a place that serves food, is comfortable, and is open to a group of people hanging out for a long time. Basically, you need a really good third space,” Solomon says, invoking sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s concept of a place that is neither home nor work. “They’re getting harder to come by.” Boulder Beatknits currently meets every other Saturday at Creature Comforts Cafe, on east Pearl. 

Boulder’s crafting groups aren’t restricted to fiber arts. Heidi Jensen and Amanda Grantham co-run the Colorado Paper & Pen Collective (CPPC), a group that convenes scrapbookers and stationery enthusiasts. Their first meeting took place in early 2024 with only three attendees; now, the group has more than 100 members. “It’s grown organically,” Jensen says. Grantham adds, “We utilize community spaces like food halls, we give back to the local community by supporting businesses, and we create a space where people can enjoy others’ company while doing something they love.” 

Jensen and Grantham point out that crafting groups often have a countercultural bent. “We have a gift economy going on,” Jensen says. “Our group is very playful and very welcoming. It’s a matriarchal system; there are no leaders or followers. But it’s not all women either, it’s just people who are passionate about this kind of artistry.” 

Fundamentally, crafts—and textile arts in particular—have been human pastimes for thousands of years. “It’s a survival skill,” Sher says. “When the apocalypse comes, when your dog dies—knitting is always there.”