Library is more than books
KnitFit Community Knit-a-thon celebrates its 10th anniversary
Knitting needles and crochet hooks will be flying Saturday at the McConnell Library in Sydney as crafters come together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the KnitFit Community Knita-thon.
At this annual charity event, anyone who wants to lend their time and skill to knit or crochet warm and wooly items for a local charity can join us for all or part of the day.
Knitting, crocheting and other handcrafts have been shown to be good for your health and your mind, as therapy, stress relief and a social activity. Add to that the satisfaction that comes from helping others and you have a win-win situation.
The Cape Breton Regional Library’s KnitFit Community Knita-thon is one such opportunity.
The knit-a-thon is also a fundraiser for children and teen programs at the Cape Breton Regional Library.
Participants gather pledges to raise much-needed money to support literacy programs at the regional library, such as the summer reading program, teen and tween programs, special programs and baby, toddler and preschool programs across the region.
Pledge sheets are available at all Cape Breton Regional Library branches, on our website (www.cbrl.ca), at Moraff’s Arts and Crafts and at My Fair Ladies Ethical Emporium in Sydney.
If you don’t wish to collect pledges, you can just make a donation to participate. If you don’t knit or crochet, you can contribute by sponsoring a friend or one of the participants at the event or through your local library branch.
All library branches accept donations of yarn and tools. At the knit-a-thon, donated yarn is available for use during the day or to take home to continue making items for charity. Many people bring in the items they have been working on over the previous year, so that hundreds of hats, mitts, scarves, sweaters and more are donated to nine local charities that provide free clothing for those in our communities who need them.
Over the last 10 years, close to 5,500 items have been donated to Cape Breton charities through the library by generous local crafters and more than $11,500 has been raised to fund children’s literacy programs at the library.
Donations are now accepted year-round and items that are received by Christmas are donated to charities in time for their Christmas parcels.
Over the years, local grocery stores (Sobeys and Atlantic SuperStore) and bakeries (Tony’s and Harold’s) have donated lunch for participants. This year the culinary arts program at Nova Scotia Community College Marconi Campus will provide refreshments and lunch and we look forward to partnering with them.
Many local and regional yarn businesses, as well as some library patrons, also donate door prizes for participants who come for the knit-a-thon day.
To celebrate our 10th anniversary, local knitter and library supporter Barb Kelly Landry has designed a circular shawl pattern that will be sold on the knitting site Ravelry.com and at some local yarn stores. All the proceeds will go to support children and teen programs at the regional library.
The shawl will be on display at this year’s knit-a-thon and patterns will be available for sale.
The public is invited to come to the McConnell Library between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday for the 10th annual knit-a-thon, for a fun day to create warm winter items for Cape Breton families, to support the Cape Breton Regional Library or just to watch and learn.
Several Cape Breton Regional Library branches also host regular drop-in sessions where yarn crafters can work on projects together and share tea and conversation. Many of these crafters are major contributors to the knit-a-thon efforts yearround. The following is the crafters schedule at local libraries: Glace Bay Library Knitting
Club meets on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. New Waterford Knitting and
Crafting Drop-in takes place on Tuesdays from 6:30-8 p.m. North Sydney Library Fibre
Lunch is held every second Thursday from 1-3 p.m. McConnel Library in Syc
ney hosts Fibre Lunch on Fridays from 1-3 p.m.