Local Critters for Local Knitters
My two favorite things to do when traveling are (in order), (1) find and buy a skein of locally dyed yarn, and (2) find a local insect. These favorite things have taken me from the softest mohair and tarantula hawks in New Mexico, to Yak and salmonflies in Seattle.
Why not combine the love for local yarns with a love for local critters? And LCLK was born. I began reaching out to local yarn stores and asking if they would be interested in a (free) custom chart featuring a local insect to host in their stores. As with all my patterns, these charts will be backed up with…a lot of information on the insect. Please read more below, find the nearest critter knitter to you, and if you’re a LYS or an entomologist…consider becoming involved!
It has never been more important to advocate for the environmental protection and education. That education can look like knitting, and that knitting can look like native insects.
When I began designing my insect knitting patterns, I realized quickly that they were the most valuable tool in my arsenal to tell people about insect ecology. Simply from the phrase “I like your sweater!” I was able to have conversations with people in my community about insects, their ecological importance, and what we can do to protect them. The smallest and most valuable members of our ecological community face multivariate threats- from habitat loss to pollution to warming climates.
My goal is to connect people with their local critters with the same joy and excitement that they are connected with local yarn, local businesses, and the ecological community of fiber artists. Every pattern I publish contains a page of information about the featured insects, and the people who have knit my patterns have reported back to me that this information makes its way into conversations with strangers, again from the simple compliment (which all knitters and crocheters are familiar with) “I like your sweater!”.
Help me highlight local insects and their role in the environment through highlighting local yarns and local businesses.
Want to take it a step further?
Connect with a local entomologist! I will be your liaison to bring the wonderful, wacky world of insects into your knitting circle. So many of us knit while listening to audiobooks and watching TV, why not listen to an incredible scientist answer questions about the coolest organisms around? I might be biased.
Are you an entomologist?
Fill out the entomologist form to be connected (fingers crossed!) with a local yarn store in your area.