Bring whatever knitting/crochet/spinning/fibre craft you're working on, get advice, have a giggle and share experiences.
This is a very chill group. The 'Cleeve Knitting Knights' have been meeting every Sunday in store since we opened (in 2014!) and the group changes and moulds over time. We continued this tradition over zoom during lockdown, but we are so happy to be back at it again! Feel free to sign up for one session, pop in once or twice a month or become a regular. It's totally up to you!
with Kim Smith @kimsmithhappy (Owner of AU) & our Knitting Knights!
NOTE: This is a club/event that is taking place IN STORE! You do not need to pre-book (just showing up is ok!) but it's great if you want to support us this way!
More info:
-Help with projects/Beginners?
Yes! Between us all, theres usually a heap of experience. We love beginners too though, so don't let that put you off. If Kim doesn't know how to do something, someone in the group will, and everyone is usually super happy to share tips, tricks and funny stories.
-Cost?
We are asking for a humble £1.00 per booking just to cover our time and tea and biscuits. If you wish to ‘add more to the pot’ and support us further, please consider buying something from the shop, ordering a drink while you're here, or tipping us during the event. Thank you!
-Adults only (hehe!)
I just say this because we are mostly 18+ and some of us have dirty mouths/naughty senses of humour. There's no age restriction, so if you're a cool 15 year old (or cool 90 year old!), feel free to join! We try and avoid having lots of little kids around just so we can relax and be ourselves- but we will try to be on our best behaviour if requested.
-Introductions!
Kim will try and say 'Hi!' to everyone who joins, and encourage people to introduce themselves with their name and pronouns. i.e. "Hi, I'm Kim and my pronouns are she/her."
-Inclusivity/Moderation
We are a very friendly and welcoming group. Inclusivity is important to us, and we want everyone to feel like they can join in safely. Felt unsafe in another knitting group? Never fear, we got your back here! Just so you know:
Kim moderates talk gently and uses the 'Red Card' system so we can keep any negativity (racism, xenophobia, slut shaming etc) from taking over. Talking about sensitive issues is always encouraged as long as discussion is fair, informational and doesn't trigger anyone. Feel free to message Kim with any triggers prior to the session. This has never been much of an issue, but in order to make everyone feel safe, Kim will have a 'Red Card' that she holds up (or says aloud) if anything gets too heated/unhelpful/hurtful. This is a visual cue to wrap up that topic. We really appreciate your consideration.
(For example: Kim has struggled with body image and diet culture her whole life. If the discussion turns towards fat-shaming, she may try and interject with a body positivity comment and try to steer the conversation away from diets, numbers, weights etc. If this doesn't succeed, she may hold up the Red Card and then we would try to change the subject.)
This is not an attempt to control the conversation, but guide it gently so that we all have a good experience.
