WWKIP Day 2009

The Union County NJ Crafters decided to celebrate World Wide Knit in Public Day with a Picnic at Nomahegan Park in Cranford. It's been raining for days now in NJ, but this morning dawned sunny and dry. The park was quite muddy and we had some difficulty locating a picnic table that was in a relatively dry spot.

Hillary, Jess and I arrived around 10 AM and began knitting at once.


As the morning progressed, more and more members joined us.

The park was an active spot today. There seemed to be three large groups that had reserved the picnic groves. We could smell chicken and hamburgers grilling. People walked back and forth to the playground, passing close to our table, but no one approached us to ask about our activities. We had prepared for some interest and members planned to teach knitting and crocheting to passers by if anyone expressed an interest.

Our group ultimately became large enough to require the extra table I had brought from home. And, the party chairs that Dick and I bought years ago for an event that was canceled finally found some use. Around 11:30 we decided to break out the food. Each member made a dish to share and there were some very delicious offerings.

Here we are, clearing our knitting away and setting up to eat.



There were chips, salsa, salads, fresh fruit, drinks and brownies.


Midway through lunch, Cindy arrived. Here she is demonstrating her soccer chair. She explained to us that the built in canopy protects her from sun and rain. That's an important accessory these days. And, there has been a lot more rain than sun.

The weather was somewhat threatening. At one point, it seemed as if it would rain any minute, but the dark clouds passed over and the sky brightened. Around 2:30, it became threatening again and we decided to pack up our gear and head home. As I was unloading all the gear and getting things stowed in the garage it did begin to rain--and it's continued to rain all afternoon and evening.

We had one new member, Joan, and she promises to join us at our regular meetings on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

All in all, it was a successful day. Of course, we knit in public, at Starbucks, Coffee Beanery and Panera all the time. It was nice, though, to share food and be in the outdoors.