With nearly 200 student groups on campus, Augustana is home to a variety of clubs from Equestrian Club to Martial Arts Club, to Philosophy Club and has recently added Yarn Club to the mix.
Started by Co-President first-years Carmella Russell and Taylor Kies, Yarn Club was created through a casual lunch conversation. According to Russell, she had been crocheting as she ate lunch with her friends one day when first-year Lauren Negron, who is now the social media coordinator for the group, asked Russell to teach her how to crochet. With the rest of their friends, who now make up the executive board, they came up with the idea to make it a club activity.
“We dreamed the whole thing up in a day during lunch and then we just like, completely jumped into it. I started emailing people about what we needed to do like that day, and then I was super pumped about it, and now we’re here!” Russell exclaimed.
Even though many of the executive board members are experienced crocheters and knitters, they encourage both students with and without experience to come to their meetings.
“[We] also have like a club set of…hooks and needles and yarn that you can actually check out if you want to practice at home if you’ve never had any experience,” first-year and the Yarn Club secretary, Kacie Judge assured.
Students that are interested in Yarn Club also get to participate in community service projects while they crochet and knit. The club has many projects they plan to work on this year, the first of which being “Little Hats, Big Hearts”.
“The “Little Hats, Big Hearts” project [is] through the American Heart Association, and you make little hats and they donate them to hospitals…we’ll be doing it for…hospitals in the area. And then they give these hats to babies in the hospital and it helps raise awareness for heart disease at the same time,” Russell explained.
Another service project the group has planned is to knit for “Knitted Knockers”. The premise of this project is to knit bra inserts for women who have had double mastectomies. The knitted inserts are often more comfortable than the usual silicone inserts.
With a great turn out for their first meeting, Yarn Club was a big hit among students. First-year and club member, Iva Vucic who went to the first meeting described how well it went.
“A lot of students showed up-—we actually ran out of chairs in the Evald lounge, there were that many participants. The first meeting was chill, relaxed, and fun. Everyone was having a great time and the atmosphere was welcoming and soothing,” Vucic explained.
Based in community service and the desire helping students learn a new art form, Yarn Club is on its way to becoming a dynamic new club on Augustana’s campus.
“We want to share, we want to share the fun of yarn. We have so much fun just chillin’ in our room, just crocheting and knitting. I just want everyone to experience how much fun we have. So, everyone should come!” Russell said.
Students interested in Yarn Club should contact Russell and Kies with any questions.
