A large group of more than 25 Osoyoos and area women dropped in to the Osoyoos branch of the Okanagan Regional Library on Dec. 10 as the inaugural meeting of the new Droppin’ Stitches arts group was held. Free classes are offered to local residents wishing to learn knitting and crocheting skills. The free classes will be held once a month on the second Saturday of each month at the local library and will also be starting up on Jan. 8 at the Sunshine Ridge Retirement Residence beginning at 7:30 p.m. (Contributed photo)

A simple social media message from a local woman who was interested in learning how to knit and crochet has “taken off”.

“I responded to a request from a woman on the Osoyoos Loop community page who wanted information about learning how to knit and crochet,” said Tamara Aspell, who was taught how to knit and crochet by her mother as were many children of Ukrainian heritage.

“I just wanted to put it out there that I was willing to help and the whole thing just took off from there.”

Because of overwhelming response over the past month, Aspell decided to form a group called Droppin’ Stitches South Okanagan (SO).

A group of 25 woman showed up at the Osoyoos branch of the Okanagan Regional Library on Saturday, Dec. 10 as Droppin’ Stitches held its inaugural meeting.

“I came up with a cute name that I thought would be catchy … in knitting or crocheting if you drop a stitch, the whole project falls apart and unravels,” she said. “So we dropped the ‘G’ and came up with the name.”

Georgia Bruyel, the head librarian at the Osoyoos library, generously offered to have the members of Droppin’ Stitches use the library for its inaugural meeting and Aspell said she was thrilled when more than two dozen local women showed up.

“Considering we did all this in less than a month, it was a fantastic turnout,” she said.

The group was split into women who wanted to learn the basics of knitting and a smaller group that wanted to learn the basics of crotcheting, she said.

Natasha Schroeter, a teacher at Osoyoos Secondary School, is an experienced knitter and generously volunteered to teach the basics to new members, while Aspell was in charge of teaching the basics in crocheting.

“We just introduced some terminology and then let the ladies play with some very simple patterns,” she said. “It was all about learning the basics, having fun and enjoying a really good time.”

That inaugural meeting was so successful, there have been requests from others in the community to expand Droppin’ Stitches, said Aspell.

Several seniors who live at Sunshine Ridge Retirement Residence want to join and Aspell and other members will be offering classes at the residence every Monday night at 7:30 p.m., starting on Jan. 8.

Several other ladies from the Casa del Lago strata on Cottonwood Drive are also looking to get involved by using that facility’s clubhouse.

“They are looking at offering something during the week … we still haven’t finalized which day, but we hope to start offering classes there once a week early in the new year,” she said.

More than 70 people have signed up to join Droppin’ Stitches on the group’s Facebook page, said Aspell.

“The response has just been fantastic,” she said. “When a group of women come together, good things can happen.

“My heart told me there was a need for a group like this, but I honestly never thought it would take off the way it has.”

All of the classes offered by Droppin’ Stitches are free, but participants are asked to bring their own needles and other materials, said Aspell.

The volunteers from the United Church Thrift Store generously donated knitting needles, yarn and other supplies, she said.

The second Droppin’ Stitches classes at the Osoyoos library will take place on Saturday, Jan. 12, starting at 10:30 a.m.

Aspell said sharing her knowledge and expertise is rewarding and the positive response she has received from the ladies she’s helping learn how to knit and crochet is so positive.

Anyone interested in finding out more about Droppin’ Stitches SO is asked to visit their Facebook page.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times