Yarnies541

Hello Yarnies541 Community! Lots to talk about in this digest.

Lane County Fair needs a textile coordinator! This position is still open. If you have a passion for textiles and a vision for displaying and promoting textiles in the community, this may be the thing for you!

The Lane County Fair is looking for someone with a passion for sewing, quilting, knitting, or crochet to fill our Textiles Coordinator position during the Fair! This position works with our exhibits coordinator to showcase all of the textile exhibits put on display during the fair!

Visit https://www.atthefair.com/creative-exhibits to view the application. 

Yarnies541 member Tina has been working with the “Welcome Blanket Project” created by craftivist and advocate Jayna Zweiman. The Welcome Blanket Project began as a way to support refugees in the US and put welcoming into action as a direct opposition response to the border wall. Tina was in California recently visiting family and learned that Jayna lived “just down the road!”. Tina was able to meet up with Jayna, drop off some blankets that Tina has been sewing together from knitted and crocheted squares (likely by some of you reading this), AND they were able to snap a picture! Learn more about this project here:  https://www.welcomeblanket.org 

Speaking of craftivism: Keep reading to the end for the P.A.L.S. update and current “Imagi-Knit New Futures” banner project in preparation for the “No Kings” Rally on March 28th.

This Sunday, March 22nd from 11-5pm is the Queer Makers Market at Lavender Network. Swing by and see what’s happening! 1590 Willamette St. in Eugene. 

Knit For Food Knit-A-Thon is April 11th this year. Yarnies541 has participated in the past but will not be coordinating a Yarnies541-specific team this year. There are many teams available to join on the Knit-For-Food website https://givebutter.com/knitforfood26 or you can create your own team and invite others to join and help fundraise with you!

Yarnies541 values supporting hyper local programs as well, and encourages members to donate to our local food networks: 

Food for Lane County

Burrito Brigade

86hunger

There are SO MANY ways to support the needs in our neighborhoods and the larger world community.

Saturday, April 18th from 6-8pm Yarnies541 is hosting a potluck and NAMI info/Meeps kickoff at River Road parks and rec: 1400 Lake Dr. Eugene, OR 97404. Bring a dish to share and join us to learn more about the NAMI walk in May. 

RSVP at the link here: String Fling Potluck RSVP suggested donation $5 per person for non paid-tier members. 100% of the donation, after processing fees, goes directly to NAMI.

NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness and offers incredible support services in our community. Learn more at namilane.org Yarnies541 board member Laura, of Always Be Kind Yarn, is a big advocate of NAMI and supports them with a team in the walk every year. Laura hands out MEEPS during the event. These little craft creatures are a huge hit and the feedback she gets about them as a way to enter conversations about mental health and community support is really powerful. In the last couple of years, Yarnies541 members have contributed to Laura’s Meep give-away project and we plan to do it again this year! Learn more about Meeps here: www.allyoumeepislove.com We will have crochet and knit patterns and kits available at the potluck. 

April 25th, 2026 is Local Yarn Store Day! We are excited to support our local shops this year and eager to see what they are planning for what many of us consider an international holiday! 

P.A.L.S. Update: 

“Imagi-Knit New Futures” Protest Banner 

The following is from our Friends at P.A.L.S. “It’s easy to get caught up in the things we don’t like about our current world, and sometimes we forget to dream of a better future. Our “Imagi-Knit New Futures” kits will guide you through the process of imagining a positive and hopeful future that you can then infuse into your yarn. Crafters are welcome to knit or crochet their own yarn or hand them off to a PAL to be made into 6 inch squares. Squares will be incorporated with messages of a hopeful future into a banner that we will display at the March 28th, 2026 No Kings protest. ”

Imagi-Knit New Futures banner square kits will be available at Yarnies541 meetups on 3/19, 3/24, and 3/26. More info about P.A.L.S. And their social links can be found here: https://yarnies541.org/p-a-l-s/ Use that same P.A.L.S. link for info about the Red Hat fundraiser for PIRC Oregon and order a hat while supplies last!

Classes are humming away at the local shops! Cozy and Stringfield Yarn Collective are here to support community learning and advancing your skills! See links below for shop websites!

As always, Thank you for building this great community! Please consider supporting the local businesses that support our club: stringfieldyarncollective.com and cozy-yarn.com as well as ebbandflowboutique.com and www.alwaysbekindyarn.com

Please check out our calendar on the main page of the website www.Yarnies541.org for recurring events. And please, as always, email or comment about events we may have missed! Or post them on the Yarnies541 Discord: Yarnies541 discord invite