Sophia Cortes

During the seventh meeting hosted by The Fiber Arts Club, Treasurer Joy Kim ‘26 presents a slideshow teaching club members. Every week, the club updates members about fiber art terms, gives announcements, and takes attendance before the meeting. “I talked about the difference between stockinette and fair isle knitting to teach the beginners basic knitting terminology,” Kim said. “Announcements [covered] our future events and charities we will be working with very soon.”

The Fiber Arts Club, formerly known as Knitting Club, held its Introduction of Knitting Skills workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 8:15 a.m. in room E1204. Club members not only socialized and developed knitting and crocheting skills, but also discussed the charities they will collaborate with and events planned for this year.

The Fiber Arts Club, having gained prominence due to promotion on social media and at Fishbowl, attracted new members passionate about creating with yarn, and beginners who want to explore the world of fiber arts at this meeting.

“One of our biggest promotion events was definitely Fishbowl and we’ve gotten a lot of new members because of that,” Fiber Arts Club President Aaron Yuan ‘26 said. “We will also be promoting the club on our official Instagram account called @westwood.fiberarts.club, and posting pictures of our pieces on the Dreamcatcher Website to promote the art of crocheting and knitting to the creative community of Westwood.”

At the beginning of every club meeting, an officer presents a slideshow teaching attendees about fiber art terms, gives announcements, and takes attendance.

“My presentation was about the different types of knitting and knitting techniques,” Fiber Arts Club Treasurer Joy Kim ‘26 said. “I talked about the difference between stockinette and fair isle knitting to teach the beginners basic knitting terminology and gave announcements covering our future events and charities we will be working with very soon.” 

This year, The Fiber Arts Club will be contributing to the cause of the Warm Up America charity. This organization takes donations of crocheted or knitted 7 by 9 inch squares to stitch into blankets for people experiencing homelessness. Each member who chooses to participate is required to create their squares before Wednesday, Sept. 27.

“This is our first time working with a charity after a one-year hiatus,” Yuan said. “I’m very excited to get back into working in more of a service sector for our club, and working with more organizations and charities in the future. I really want our beginners to be in a place where they can participate in every single one of our service projects.”

Club members also learned the Fiber Arts Club was approached by the Greater Austin YMCA to participate in its annual Spooktacular event by making Halloween-themed pieces and selling them on Oct. 28. 

“The YMCA Spooktacular event is annually hosted to showcase the clubs in the Greater Austin area, and is a really great opportunity to make fun Halloween-themed pieces and interact with those outside of our organization,” Yuan said.

To increase accessibility, the Fiber Arts Club is allowing members to check out supplies to work on projects at home. A checkout form was made so members can check out the supplies they need and return them in good condition.

“We’re providing supplies like yarn, hooks, and needles to those who either don’t have the money for supplies, but also to anyone who wants to practice their craft at home and finish their projects,” Fiber Arts Club Vice President Kylie Bojorquez ‘24 said. “Our time in the club room is limited and I think allowing club members, especially beginners, to take supplies home will help them be able to grow their skills more without financial strain or needing to complete a project in a limited time.”

The officers of the Fiber Arts Club take part in teaching beginners crocheting and knitting to not only be able to participate in charities and events, but to also advance their understanding and creativity of fiber arts.

“The club teachers have been really helpful. It’s been really nice to have someone helping me with learning how to crochet,” member Alexa Botello Garcia ‘27 said. “I found this club during Fishbowl and it reminded me of having experience with sewing and how similar it is to fiber arts. I decided I could try this to expand my knowledge of crocheting.”