How to start a local group

[jingerelle]

There are no local groups in my town, so I'm thinking of starting one. Maybe meet at the local library or a local coffee shop, something like that. BUT..I've never been involved in something like this. I'm looking for some tips. What kinds of activities would we do? CAL, just do your own thing or what? Looking for any advice from you more experienced gals!

[MadCityCrochet]

I belong to a local crochet group that was started through meetup.com, which is an online site for getting groups of people with similar interests together. We meet once a month and everyone bring a project to work on. We trade tips, give advice and brag about what we have finished. We have met in local coffee shops, LYS's and even a couple restaurants. We have a great time just chatting and working on our projects. Fastest 2 hours I have each month!

 

Sara

[Wyndfire]

Hello! I'm a member of the Desert Crochet Guild in Phoenix, AZ. We are a chapter of the Crochet Guild of America. The CGOA's website may be a good place to start if you want to begin a chapter. Also, you can post flyers at local bookstores, hobby stores, grocery stores, etc. Anywhere you think a fellow crocheter would see it (and the store doesnt mind). The library is a good place as well to post flyers, and also to have meetings.

 

Our group does many different things for our meetings. We sometimes have a lesson taught by one of our members, or a special speaker from outside our group. This can be on anything crochet related: we've done classes on Beginning Tunisian Stitch, Broomstick Lace, Joining Squares, etc. We also take field trips to yarn shops outside the Phoenix Metro area. And, we give crochet demonstrations/lessons at the Maricopa County Fair, Arizona State Fair and local libraries. We also pick a charity every quarter to make items for - from hats to afghans to whatever! And yes, sometimes we even have meetings where we have nothing planned, and everyone just works on their projects and chats.

 

I'm very glad I found my group - its always a lot of fun! I wish you luck in starting a group in your area, and if theres any help I can give, just ask!

[caf58]

i started a group a couple of months ago in my library. i keep it simple we all work on our own projects. we meet once a month. we all help each other if we have problems with our knitting or crochet. we have show and tell. there are no business meetings no dues no minutes. i have all that with our quilt guild and i hate it. we just like to come in sit down and work on our projects.

[HappyOldCro]

There are no local groups in my town, so I'm thinking of starting one. Maybe meet at the local library or a local coffee shop, something like that. BUT..I've never been involved in something like this. I'm looking for some tips. What kinds of activities would we do? CAL, just do your own thing or what? Looking for any advice from you more experienced gals!

Thank you for asking....I and my DD have been thinking about it too.

Any crocheters we know all live far from us, and we would like to meet with fellow cros to share in person..

[HappyOldCro]

i started a group a couple of months ago in my library. i keep it simple we all work on our own projects. we meet once a month. we all help each other if we have problems with our knitting or crochet. we have show and tell. there are no business meetings no dues no minutes. i have all that with our quilt guild and i hate it. we just like to come in sit down and work on our projects.

How did you start it?

[darski]

I would so love to have a group of devout crocheters to get together. There is a group in the building that gets together to "craft" but they are not excited by or interested in seeing what is new and what is happening with crochet. They can't talk the talk.

 

I should try posting at the library I guess. I tried starting a Ygroup but I guess no one from here does Yahoo crochet

[CLLinda]

Put a note about the group in your local paper. Have a specific place to meet, the time, the date, etc and a phone number to call.

 

Spread the word in church groups, the library, the coffee shops, etc. by putting notes up on bulletin boards.

 

I am fortunate enough to have a group at my church. I am the youngest member but I learn so much from the older women. We just work on our own projects for charity and talk. We also help each other on projects when someone is stuck on a direction, etc. Our group is open to both knitters and crocheters. We meet every Friday and it's just something to really look forward to.

 

One woman in our group is a great knitter but her pattern called for a bit of crochet for button holes. So I took out a hook and made the button holes for her. It's just nice to be able to do things like that.

 

You may start a group at your church, etc. There are probably some women who would love to have a group to go to and have a good time.

 

I really enjoy my group. I sure hope you get one going. It may be hard right now because of the Holidays, but don't give up. It can be part of something to start for the new year.

 

Good luck.

 

[Titus2woman]

What a great idea! We have the best little library in walking distance, and this would be sooo much fun! I'll hafta seriously think about doing this too.... (((((HUGS))))) sandi

[texasredhead]

I put a notice on Craigs List but no one responded except a lady who wanted to learn to crochet. I met with her a couple of times and got her going. That was it. I couldn't drum up anyone on there who wanted to crochet. I meet at the local yarn shop sometimes but it is 30 minutes away. I hope you get some people!!

[01buckler15]

I started a group here in my town. But there seems not to be much of an interest. I have 11 members and have only met a few of them. Even then there are only a couple of people that actually meet with me on a regular basis. I have my group on myspace, but we started on meetup.com. Meetup.com cost money though, so I switched it to myspace so that it's free. I scheduled a few meetings at the library, but no one ever showed up. We end up meeting at Barnes & Nobble or Half Price Books now. We just show up and bring what we are working on. We share any tips and show off our work. We also gather things for donation every once in a while. We only meet once a month though. I'm not having much luck with my group.

Maybe I could try a little harder though!

 

Good luck getting your group started!

[jingerelle]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. I think this will be one of '08 projects!

[kel]

My crochet habit didn’t kick in until last year after we had moved across the country to VA and I didn’t know very many people at all. So...I started a group for crocheters & knitters! At first it was on Meetup & it grew pretty quickly on there, but due to the expense & not wanting to charge people to participate, we moved it to Yahoo. I have 2 crochet friends who help keep the board maintained since I have gone back to work full time. We mostly meet at a local coffee shop or the eating area of a mall, but we have also gotten together at the library, members homes, and Barnes & Noble. After a year, we are still growing. We have potlucks & themes (like Christmas in July to plan for holiday projects and Shake Your Booties Night for making baby booties & sharing patterns). We also try to keep track of local events & post them on our calendar - like craft shows & yarn shop sales.

I have to say I much prefer the Meetup site, so if cost is not a factor for you, I suggest it. And actually you can go on there now and do a search for crochet & it will give you an idea of how many people in your area who are also wanting a crochet group. Hope this helps!

:hookKel

[Real Deal]

Right here on Crochetville, go down to the Coffee Shop area and the first listing is Seeking Local Crocheters. You can go in there and say you are looking for people in your area. Some people do meet up that way.

[caf58]

How did you start it?

 

i just went to the library and asked if they would be interested in starting a group she said yes but that she did not have anyone to run it. so i said i would. so i picked a date and a time that was available and its been about 11 months old. i see you live in pennsylvania also where? i live in the lancaster-berks county area.

[caf58]

I put a notice on Craigs List but no one responded except a lady who wanted to learn to crochet. I met with her a couple of times and got her going. That was it. I couldn't drum up anyone on there who wanted to crochet. I meet at the local yarn shop sometimes but it is 30 minutes away. I hope you get some people!!

 

why dont you advertise as a knit and crochet group. you can probably get more people that way and eventually get some people who crochet but atleast you will have a group started. thats how i did mine in the library. we have both knitters and crocheters. it doesnt matter what they do we all have a good time together.

[mamabear10]

My friend and I are wanting to start a local group too, and we're planning to go talk to our librarians next week. I'm wondering how often we should meet? Weekly can get tiresome, but once a month seems too infrequent. I'm thinking bi-monthly may be a good compromise. I love the idea of picking a quarterly charity to craft for. our community has a Ministerial Alliance where most of the churches pool resources to help the needy; I know there's a clothing closet around here somewhere...

[SlowCrocheter]

I would gladly drive 30 minutes to go to a crochet meeting. lol I wish you luck with getting a group going.

[magiccrochetfan]

Have you joined Ravelry? It seems to be the biggest crochet/knit internet community. There are all kinds of small groups on there where you can join something for your geographic area and talk to others nearby. Several months ago I posted on Ravelry to see if anyone in my area wanted to meet, and several people responded. There are now three of us who have been meeting every week--except when the weather is really bad.

 

We just use a table at the library and sit there and crochet and knit together. The library staff have said they are glad to have us there; they don't consider the library a silent zone these days. We didn't ask the library beforehand, we just went there to begin with. I prefer the library to a coffee shop because no one has to feel they should buy something to justify being there. We email each other beforehand to say if we are coming that night or not. We have nothing formal at all in terms of programs or anything. We have shared a lot of knowledge with each other, and showed off our FOs. We've brought in books we have that the others might be interested in seeing, and looked at library books together. As it happens we were all big users of the library to begin with.

 

Our meeting time is 5 p.m. and we stay til 6:30. Only one of us is working full-time and that time works well for her. I think weekly is good because then you don't have to remember if it is the week to meet--it is easy to remember that it happens every Monday. We did put a sign on the library bulletin board, with some contact info for 2 of us, and I know at least one person saw it and wants to come sometime. We aren't limited to any particular needlecraft--when i made the sign I said "crochet, knit, tat, or any fiber art".

 

I also put a notice in Seeking Local Crocheters here, and some interest was expressed but no one from Crochetville has made it to a get-together yet. (This is a big county and a lot of people live in the county but closer to larger towns in the adjoining counties, where there are other active groups meeting weekly.) The info is in my signature here as well. Now that the group is up and running, when one of us is talking to anyone who does needlecraft, we can tell them about the group and maybe they will join us as well.

 

so that's what I have experienced and it's worked well so far.

 

Writing this has made me realize that there are 2 LYS about 30 min. from where we meet, and I should see if they have a bulletin board where I could put up notices also.

[CrochetAmore]

Have you joined Ravelry? It seems to be the biggest crochet/knit internet community. There are all kinds of small groups on there where you can join something for your geographic area and talk to others nearby. Several months ago I posted on Ravelry to see if anyone in my area wanted to meet, and several people responded. There are now three of us who have been meeting every week--except when the weather is really bad.

 

We just use a table at the library and sit there and crochet and knit together. The library staff have said they are glad to have us there; they don't consider the library a silent zone these days. We didn't ask the library beforehand, we just went there to begin with. I prefer the library to a coffee shop because no one has to feel they should buy something to justify being there. We email each other beforehand to say if we are coming that night or not. We have nothing formal at all in terms of programs or anything. We have shared a lot of knowledge with each other, and showed off our FOs. We've brought in books we have that the others might be interested in seeing, and looked at library books together. As it happens we were all big users of the library to begin with.

 

Our meeting time is 5 p.m. and we stay til 6:30. Only one of us is working full-time and that time works well for her. I think weekly is good because then you don't have to remember if it is the week to meet--it is easy to remember that it happens every Monday. We did put a sign on the library bulletin board, with some contact info for 2 of us, and I know at least one person saw it and wants to come sometime. We aren't limited to any particular needlecraft--when i made the sign I said "crochet, knit, tat, or any fiber art".

 

I also put a notice in Seeking Local Crocheters here, and some interest was expressed but no one from Crochetville has made it to a get-together yet. (This is a big county and a lot of people live in the county but closer to larger towns in the adjoining counties, where there are other active groups meeting weekly.) The info is in my signature here as well. Now that the group is up and running, when one of us is talking to anyone who does needlecraft, we can tell them about the group and maybe they will join us as well.

 

so that's what I have experienced and it's worked well so far.

 

Writing this has made me realize that there are 2 LYS about 30 min. from where we meet, and I should see if they have a bulletin board where I could put up notices also.

 

Oh how I wish you were closer!! I'm in Mountain Grove.. so that's what, at least a few hours away..

 

The closest group I've found to me is in Springfeild, and it's still just too far for me to drive at just over an hour one way. You've given me some good ideas though... I'm an introvert... but maybe if I put some signs around town I could find someone who is interested enough to act as "leader".

[mamarose22]

I think everyone gave some good advice. If the idea works, then that's that. You can meet informally in a library or ask a library clerk if they could set aside a room for crocheters (and knitters, and other needleworkers etc.,) and have them allot a day of the week and time frame. Just because it would be held weekly, doesn't mean you have to attend weekly.

I heard several people say that they meet at bookstores on a regular basis.

If there is a local senior center, or community center, you could work something out with them.

Sometimes an apartment complex might have a community room they may allow you to use.

I saw a request on craftster for local knitters (I am a crocheter) to join them in a local Burger King from 10:00 AM to noon, for the summer months. They usually purchased some breakfast a/o coffee (I always eat breakfast at home). Ravelry is another place to advertise for local crocheters.

You could try any or all of the above. Once you have worked out a meeting place, you can advertise further with time and place. Start small and expand from there.

[magiccrochetfan]

Oh how I wish you were closer!! I'm in Mountain Grove.. so that's what, at least a few hours away..

 

The closest group I've found to me is in Springfeild, and it's still just too far for me to drive at just over an hour one way. You've given me some good ideas though... I'm an introvert... but maybe if I put some signs around town I could find someone who is interested enough to act as "leader".

 

Yeah, it would be quite a drive for you to come to crochet with us! We are north of Jefferson City. I know what you mean about driving as much as 1 hour being too much. There are several groups in Columbia but that is an hour drive for me. I may make it over there for a gathering "someday":P but a 2 hour round trip is just more than I care to do on a regular basis.

 

As far as having a "leader", I'm not at all sure that is necessary. I happened to be the first person to post here and on Ravelry asking if anyone in this area wanted to get together, and I did volunteer to make the sign we put up on the bulletin board, but other than that I have done nothing leaderish;) There is not a thing about our group that is at all formal or planned--other than agreeing on a time and place--so there is really nothing to lead. I know I didn't have any preconceived ideas about organized group activities, i just wanted to "sit and stitch" with somebody.... I don't think there needs to be a leader for that. In fact I'll go so far as to say that if somebody was trying to impose their ideas on our little group, I think we'd be pretty unhappy about that. So I'd say just get out the word however you can that you are interested in finding others to form a group and hopefully it will happen. Being in a rural area does seem to make it harder.

 

Oh, one other thought I don't know if anybody has mentioned yet--some churches have charity crocheting/knitting groups, and you might be able to find one of those to join.

[CrochetAmore]

...As far as having a "leader", I'm not at all sure that is necessary. I happened to be the first person to post here and on Ravelry asking if anyone in this area wanted to get together, and I did volunteer to make the sign we put up on the bulletin board, but other than that I have done nothing leaderish;) There is not a thing about our group that is at all formal or planned--other than agreeing on a time and place--so there is really nothing to lead. I know I didn't have any preconceived ideas about organized group activities, i just wanted to "sit and stitch" with somebody.... I don't think there needs to be a leader for that. In fact I'll go so far as to say that if somebody was trying to impose their ideas on our little group, I think we'd be pretty unhappy about that. So I'd say just get out the word however you can that you are interested in finding others to form a group and hopefully it will happen. Being in a rural area does seem to make it harder....

 

Thank you for the info and advice! This would probably work here in Mtn Grove. I'll have to go talk to the Library about it...

[magiccrochetfan]

Thank you for the info and advice! This would probably work here in Mtn Grove. I'll have to go talk to the Library about it...

 

I hope you have good luck! Let us know how it works out:hook