Algonquin College hosted the first knitting event of 2020 on Wednesday at noon and employees took a break from their busy schedules to stay in the community loop at Algonquin College.
Every Wednesday, all staff and faculty are welcome to join and learn to knit, crochet, embroider and do other crafts in the Marketspace room C276.
“The purpose of this event is to create time and space for employees to come and work on their craft, so that can be crochet, knitting & embroidery, stitching, whatever they want to do, this is the time and space for you,” said Vanessa Trans who is a professor, instructional designer and host of Unwind – The Employee Knitting Group.
There were over twenty employees who showed up wanting to learn these new skills. Shianthi Algama, who works in the finance department, was one of them. Algama said she came to the event because her friend Vanessa was hosting it. She also wants to find a new hobby so she thought she would come and give knitting a try.
“I think I got the basics so I am very careful and Vanessa was very patient and she taught us how to start,” said Algama.
Just like Algama, there were many beginners there. Trans was willing to help everyone as much as possible as well and her co host Clara Carrar who is in business development. Both are experienced knitters and who feel that knitting has many benefits to it.
“For me it has multiple benefits because I am experienced so when I produce something, I donate and usually I work with projects,” said Carrar. “I have a group of ladies in retirement homes and when we are finished we donate them to the hospitals. Sometimes we make hats, gloves and we donate those to the shelters. I also do it because it helps me relax and I teach the elederly people to help keep their mind at peace and it works.”
Trans also mentions that the event has no agenda and that anybody can come and work on whatever. Eventually, however, she would like to start a knit along and what that means is that as a group we can decide what to knit and all start and finish together.