Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Saturday, March 10, 2007

Knitters stitch in search of peace

By GERI PARLIN / La Crosse Tribune

Whether you are a longtime knitter who creates sweaters for loved ones or a brand-new knitter struggling to finish a scarf, you are welcome at the Knitting for Peace Day at the La Crosse Public Library, 800 Main St.

From noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, knitters will gather at the library to knit in unison for peace. Experienced knitters will be on hand to help novice knitters.

It is fitting that this event occur in La Crosse, said Library Director and novice knitter Kelly Krieg-Sigman. “The woman who wrote the book ‘Knitting for Peace’ lives in La Crosse, so we thought we needed to do something with this.”

That woman is Betty Christiansen, and she said the benefits of peace knitting are two-fold. Knitters will produce knitted items for charity, and they will experience the energy and power of knitting together as a group for a good cause.

Christiansen’s book documents groups such as the one in San Francisco started by a woman who wanted to knit afghans for Afghans after 9/11. “Winter was coming, and it’s an incredibly harsh climate (in Afghanistan),” Christiansen said. “She wanted to help these people, and thanks to the Internet, she was able to,” Christiansen said, because people found out about her charity knitting event online. “That’s really the key for these people.”

For Christiansen, knitting is part of the fabric of her childhood.

“I was 8 years old when I started knitting. A neighbor taught me. I’ve always been a very crafty person, so I did grow up doing a lot of things with my hands.”

But knitting also satisfies something else in people, Christiansen said. Beyond the satisfaction of creating something with your hands, “A lot of people find a calming, soothing, Zen quality to knitting. Your mind is free to meditate or think.”

If you show up with yarn and needles at the library, Christiansen said, you’ll likely discover what many other charity knitters have discovered.

“There is a kind of energy that is created when you are all sitting down working together toward a common goal. People who knit for other people, they came from all walks of life, all political beliefs, all religious beliefs. In knitting, they are united.”

IF YOU GO

What: Knitting for Peace Day, hosted by La Crosse Public Library and La Crosse County Historical Society and featuring “Knitting for Peace” author Betty Christiansen

When: Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 21; come for the day or for however long you want to knit

Where: La Crosse Public Library, 800 Main St.

Who: Experienced and novice knitters, and even those who don’t know how to knit; basic instruction will be provided. Projects, such as afghans or teddy bears, will be set up at separate tables with patterns. You can choose the project, sit down and start knitting. For novice knitters, a table will be set up for a group afghan. The knitters will create a 7-by-9-inch square. All afghans created will be distributed to local charities.

Information: (608) 789-7127.

Geri Parlin can be reached at gparlin@lacrossetribune.com or (608) 791-8225.