How we used the power of wool to tie together (literally!) a community of strangers in the biggest city in Canada.
One of the things you may hear me say or read on our site is that wool is one of the oldest textiles and is handed down through generations because of its purposefulness and durability. For thousands of years wool has been used in clothing, bedding, and to keep people warm; it has helped humans maintain a connection to the land, to sheep, and to other humans. And yet while that has stayed the same for thousands of years one thing that has really changed is human fellowship and togetherness. Somehow, in a world where we are so connected, we are facing more societal challenges and there are days where a lot of us are feeling more isolated and alone in the world than ever.
This year during our time at the CNE, we wanted people to have a sense of belonging, for onlookers to be inspired to learn a new skill, and use wool for a greater purpose once again. This brought us to: The Community Blanket, supported by the CNE.
To get it started, we asked our followers if there was any interest in volunteering a bit of time at the CNE to crochet a granny square - and the response was overwhelming! We had some designated space in our booth - equipped with crochet hooks and various colours of our yarn - for our volunteers to create.
Little did I know how many fibre artists would be in the fair-going crowd, and our “knit-in” community continued to grow. From seasoned artists of young and not-as-young, to fair staff and crew, and people picking up a hook for the first time, every square has a story behind it. Many hands make light work, and this blanket is a beautiful reminder of that: what we can make together when we bring our own unique perspective to a common goal.
The squares didn’t need to be fancy, follow a pattern, or fit a colour scheme, they just needed to be 5”x 5”. One blanket, 195 squares, and a community tied with an invisible string that will last for generations.
Our Community Blanket will be up for auction at the CNE Charity Golf Tournament & Gala on October 6th, all proceeds will go to the CNE Foundation.
We’ve already had questions about what our next community project will be. Stay tuned as we head to the One Of A Kind show from November 27 to December 6, 2026. If you have organizations that would benefit from smaller, simple crochet, items that could be contributed to by show-goers, please let us know here.
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