The Warren County Fiber Artists will sponsor the 2015 World Wide Knit in Public Day on Saturday, June 13, at the Warren Public Library from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year is the 15th anniversary of the event. The group’s goal is to see how many people can be gathered from all around the world all at one time knitting and crocheting. Everyone is invited. Bring your knitting or crochet project, a snack and drink, and a chair. Weather permitting, participants will sit in the front yard of the library. In the case of inclement weather, they will move inside the library. For more information, call Priscilla Breese at 688-0293 or email breesep@atlanticbb.net.

World Wide Knit in Public Day was started in 2005 by Danielle Landes. It began as a way for knitters to come together and enjoy each other’s company. Knitting is such a solitary act that it’s easy to knit alone somewhere and sink into your work without thinking about all the other knitters out there. Neighbors could spend all their lives never knowing that the other knits. This a specific day to get out of your house and go to a local event (with your knitting in tow) just for you and people like you. Who knows you might even bump into your neighbor! Consider this a spark, to ignite a fire; getting all of the closeted knitters out into fresh air.

In the past some people have used this event as a means to show the general public that “not only grannies knit” and while that’s great and all, keep in mind that without those grannies’ we wouldn’t have the wealth of knitting knowledge that we do.

WWKiP Day is really about showing the general public that knitting can be a community activity in a very distinct way. In some places there are many different knitting groups that never interact with each other, on WWKiP Day they come together in one place, making them hard to miss.

History of knit in public day

In 2005, there were about 25 local events around the world. In 2006, there were about 70 local events, and in 2007, almost 200. In 2008, there were 800 events, and in 2009, 751 events.

Over the years there have been local events in Australia, China, England, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, United States and so many more countries.

Until 2014 WWKiP Day took place from the second Saturday to the third Sunday of June each year; making it a week long celebration of knitting and other fiber arts. In 2015, it will be celebrated on one day, June 13.