Creative Focus
The “Loops and Lattes” group meets at Mountain Dog Coffee every Tuesday, 1 – 4 p.m. (all are welcome).
Knitting Is Trending!
Fun and Friendship through Fiber Arts
By Tamara S. Randolph
“Where’d ya get that hat?”
I hear this question a lot once the cold weather arrives, and I don my favorite hand-knitted cap that I purchased years ago at the Watauga Arts Council Gallery. I was so inspired by that hat, I decided to sign up for one of the Council’s knitting workshops (the woman who knitted my hat was the instructor), and along with a small group of eager participants, I learned a valuable skill that will stay with me through life.
Today, knitting and a variety of other “fiber arts” are popular activities, and whether you enjoy crocheting, needle felting, sewing, weaving, macramé, embroidery, quilting or cross stitch, you’re in good, and growing, company. Knitting and crocheting have become especially popular in the High Country, and I find myself surrounded by family members, students I teach at Appalachian State, and friends from all walks of life who are enthralled with yarn hobbies.
I recently picked up my needles again following a long hiatus, so I decided to tap into our thriving knitting community to learn more about the broad appeal of yarn handicrafts and some of the latest opportunities for emerging knitters.
Sharing the Love
Abigail McDonald is an App State senior majoring in Apparel Design and Merchandising. She considers herself somewhat of an ambassador for yarn hobbies, having begun crocheting in High School during COVID. “When I came to App State, I joined the Knitting and Crochet Club on campus.” One of her friends in the Club inspired her to pick up a pair of knitting needles and she has been knitting non-stop ever since.
The Knitting and Crochet Club currently consists of about 15-20 students from a wide range of majors—Science, English, Accounting, Art, Apparel Design and Merchandising, and even Construction. “We’re a very diverse group made up of all types of people,” says McDonald. One aspect of knitting that appeals to her most is the ability to create something almost anywhere at any time. “I don’t like being sedentary. I like to continue to do something with my hands—other than scrolling on my phone—even when I’m sitting.”
Back in her hometown, McDonald shares her love of knitting with her family. “I use knitting as a connection point with my grandmother; she knits a lot. I got my sister-in-law into it, too,” and she also likes to demonstrate knitting for her curious young cousins, “planting the seed of interest” for the next generation.
This winter, knitters of every stripe can join McDonald and other members of the Knitting and Crochet Club at The Appalachian Theatre on King Street to participate in KnitFlix, a relaxed movie night where the lights stay a bit brighter than usual so people can knit, crochet, stitch, or craft while enjoying a popular film on the big screen. All are welcome—simply bring your latest project and the tools you need. You’ll find the movie choices and select dates for January through April at apptheatre.org.
“Casting On” with Community
Knitting communities come in all shapes and sizes, as another local knitter, Susan Walker, has discovered. She was first inspired by knitting magazines some 20 years ago, lured by the “intricate cables and beautiful colorwork.” She followed up her initial interest with a beginner knitting class.
Now a seasoned knitter, Walker finds the repetition in knitting to be soothing and meditative, and although she frequently knits alone at home, she also enjoys it as a social activity to share “not only with fellow local knitters but on social media with Instagram, Zoom, Discord and Ravelry (an online knitting forum with patterns, groups and designers).”
Walker has participated in knitting workshops and events, both nationally and internationally, that focus on knitting and natural fibers and yarns and she says there are companies who even offer Knitting Tours. “I have met many like-minded people from all over the world.”
Today Walker often knits with a local group of 13 “mostly older women,” and a second group in Black Mountain where “the crowd is 20s to 40s with quite a few men.” She adds that You-Tube videos can be helpful for beginners, as can “knit alongs” at yarn stores “where you knit the same project within a certain period.”
Over on Beech Mountain, Dr. Cynthia Macri crafts with members of The Crochet Corner, a private knitting and crochet group sponsored by Beech Mountain Club. “The Knitting and Crochet Corner’s mission is to give back to the High Country communities,” Macri explains, “in appreciation of the beauty, climate, and activities that entice us to return every year. We use our love of the craft to make items of use to the community.”
Their gift items have included “shawls for the graduates of the New Opportunity School for Women; hats and scarves for Hospitality House; and baby items, mostly blankets, for the Avery Pregnancy and Resource Center in Newland.” She adds, “When Grandfather Home still existed, we provided the older children with afghans that they could call their own.”
Dr. Macri says the Club’s core group is always there to “help one another with design and color ideas or with technical issues. We also enjoy just getting together each week to chat and to share.” She finds that producing something you’ve made by hand is deeply satisfying, and “that others in need can use the item to their benefit adds to that sense of satisfaction. It just feels good to know that I am making a difference, no matter how small, in another person’s life.”
Seeking Out the Experts
So, you’re hooked on the idea of learning to knit or crochet, or to take your projects to the next level, but where do you begin? According to the knitters I spoke with, we have numerous fiber artisans and experts in the High Country, and some of them even operate their own yarn stores.
In West Jefferson, Unwound Yarn is a great starting point for both new knitters and long-time yarn lovers looking for supplies, guidance and perhaps a little crafting camaraderie. Mo Purl owns the popular Ashe County yarn shop, formerly located in Blowing Rock. “I was offered a very unique opportunity in 2024 when the previous owner of Unwound, Colleen, found out the building was being sold and that we had lost our lease,” Purl shares. When the owner decided to retire, she offered the store to Purl, who had served as the store’s manager. “Despite my anxiety about becoming a business owner at 20, I knew I was making the right decision. Colleen had fostered a tight-knit community of crafters who saw Unwound as more than a store, but a sanctuary.”
Today, the relocated store continues to be a popular destination for knitters and crocheters of all experience levels. In addition to a large and loyal knitting group that meets weekly, Purl offers affordable private lessons ($25/hr., materials included) for beginners who want a one-on-one experience. “The goal of the private lesson is to get you to a point where you recognize terms and stitches by yourself, so you can continue to learn.” Unwound Yarn also carries “bags and organizers, decorative stitch markers and stitch stoppers, and all the yarn you could want. We also offer gift cards (physical and digital) along with handmade knit and crochet items made by the regulars of the store!”
In downtown Banner Elk, head to Apple Hill Farm Outpost where you’ll frequently find owner Lee Rankin in the new Fiber Arts Room knitting colorful samples—socks, shawls, cowls and other creations—to display in the shop. Rankin, an expert knitter, took up the craft soon after she founded Apple Hill Farm, a mountaintop alpaca farm in Banner Elk. She quickly started a knitting group and says that’s how she really learned to knit, “when people came in for help.”
The Fiber Arts Room at the Outpost is bursting with alpaca yarns in every color, along with high-quality knitting, crochet, and needle felting kits and supplies. “We have the largest selection of alpaca yarn in the High Country, including yarns from our own alpacas,” says Rankin. Groups of knitters and crocheters are flocking to the Outpost to enjoy its cozy atmosphere. “We have knitters who come and congregate here; they sometimes even bring their lunch,” says Rankin. “Anyone is welcome to come.” She adds, “The fun thing to me is for people who have been knitting longer than me, older and younger, to sit here and try to figure it out together. It’s just these precious moments of knitting.”
In all my conversations with yarn enthusiasts—young, young-at-heart, beginners and experts—the reasons to take up knitting and crocheting are many. Yarn crafts can stimulate the brain, soothe the soul, serve as a social outlet, and bring friends and family together, all while allowing you to create tangible goods and gifts that are unique, fashionable, and functional.
Resources for Knitting and Crochet Enthusiasts:
Apple Hill Farm Outpost (Banner Elk) | applehillfarmnc.com/apple-hill-farm-outpost/
414 Shawneehaw Ave S, Banner Elk NC 28604
Unwound Yarn (West Jefferson) | unwoundyarn.com
129 Burley Ave, West Jefferson, NC (located in the Ole Burley Market)
Chix with Stix (Lenoir) | chixwithstixknit.com
1340 Morganton Blvd Lenoir, NC 28645
A Likely Yarn (Abingdon) | alikelyyarn.com
213 Pecan St SE, Abingdon, VA 24210
Watauga Arts Council | watauga-arts.org
377 Shadowline Drive, Boone, NC 28607
Ashe County Arts Council | ashecountyarts.org
303 School Ave., West Jefferson, NC, 28694
Forence Thomas Art School | florenceartschool.org/workshops/
10 S Jefferson Ave, West Jefferson, NC 28694
Toe River Arts | toeriverarts.org
269 Oak Avenue, Spruce Pine, NC 28777
KnitFlix at The Appalachian Theatre | apptheatre.org
559 West King St., Boone, NC 28607
Carolina Fiber Fest (celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026) | carolinafiberfest.org
March 13-14, NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, NC
Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival (SAFF) | saffsite.org
October 23-25, WNC Agricultural Center, Fletcher, NC