From beginners to experts, the East Baton Rouge Jones Creek Regional Library ‘Fraid Knot Crochet Club welcomes all community members to join in the fiber arts fun.
‘Fraid Knot meets every Wednesday at the Jones Creek Regional Library from 6:30 to 8 p.m. On the first Wednesday of each month, a new crochet pattern or method is introduced, allowing attendees to get their creativity flowing.
The second Wednesday of the month is beginner’s night, where anyone who wants to learn can attend. This is perfect for those who want to get started in the hobby, but aren’t quite sure where to begin. The rest of the month is dedicated to working on the month’s pattern and socializing with fellow crocheters.
The club is very community-focused. Gretchen Dorn, the library employee that oversees the organization, said that she chooses patterns using a survey filled out by the club’s attendees.
‘Fraid Knot may have started small, but it has grown into a place where members of the community can gather to share their love of fiber arts.
“I’d like to think that it’s kind of grown some support in the community,” Dorn said. “I’ve definitely had a lot of regulars coming. We used to meet once a month, but we’ve increased it to weekly, and I’ve had a lot more repeat patrons coming back.”
Anjelica Thomas, a special education teacher for high schoolers, recently began crocheting. Originally, she would finger knit, mostly creating blankets. The crochet club not only enhances her fiber art skills, but provides a place for her to sit back and relax while enjoying her hobbies.
“I like the environment,” Thomas said. “It’s peaceful and inviting. It allows me to relax and if I have a lot on my mind, and I get to crocheting, it calms me down. It gets it off my mind, at least for the moment.”
Although many people see crocheting as a hobby for older generations, it can be a useful skill for people of all ages. It can improve motor skills, attention spans and cognitive function, while also being a great way to wind down after a long day of work or studying.
“It’s kind of problem solving,” Dorn explained. “It’s three-dimensional thinking. It’s using a lot of skills. You will quickly learn that you don’t actually know how to count. It’s applicable to real life math, but it’s also not like trying to do calculus. It’s just kind of figuring out where your patterns are going to go.”
Crocheting may seem like a daunting skill to learn, but with the right teacher, it can be made easy. Even if you aren’t a skilled mathematician or a crochet connoisseur, there are resources out there for everyone.
“It’s such an old craft that if one approach to it doesn’t make sense to you, there is someone who’s figured out a different way that maybe works with your brain a little bit better to figure out,” Dorn said. “I always point out for my beginners that if you look around the room — everybody’s holding their hook a different way. Everybody’s holding their yarn a different way.”
The libraries scattered around Baton Rouge have a variety of fiber art-centered books that can be checked out with a library card. If you don’t have one, you can visit a library near you and talk to the librarians at the front desk to get your account set up.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Libraries host a variety of events, which can be found on their website. These events cover many topics, including hobbies, like skills, history and more. Be sure to check the location, as the events for all libraries in the parish are listed on their events page.
