International Public Knitting Day celebrated in Kuldīga park

On the second Saturday of June, Kuldīga's estrāde park saw an unusual sight: blankets spread on the grass, handicrafts laid out, and several women knitting and chatting cheerfully in the shade. This day is celebrated as International Public Knitting Day, and the 'Čaupe' knitting group from Kuldīga Culture Center has been marking it for 15 years – since the group's inception.

The aim is to knit in public places – on public transport, in cafés, parks, shops, etc. – to promote the hobby. Previous events have taken place in Semināra Park, at the museum, library, Liepājas Street, and elsewhere. Member Daina Ješkevica noted that the myth of knitting as a quiet, solitary activity is false: 'We usually knit with a lot of noise, like a Marrakesh market – everyone talks but no one listens.'

Liene Zeidlere mentioned that in Riga there are special cinema screenings for knitters, where one can watch a film and knit in semi-darkness. There are also special knitting cruises, and once there was a dedicated knitting car on the Riga–Jūrmala train. 'Anything is possible, you just need to organize. An acquaintance of mine is sitting and knitting on a beach in Thailand today,' Zeidlere added.

Although passersby rarely join, once a foreign tourist joined when the group was at the Kuldīga Museum and knitted quite well. Usually people hesitate to disturb them. A passerby named Ligita, when asked, shrugged and said, 'Seems like some knitting circle.' She used to knit but no longer does.

The largest turnout was in the group's early years, when colleagues from the Ventspils handicraft studio 'Spārni' also participated. However, 'Čaupe' does not only go public once a year – they also take part in Kurzeme handicraft plenērs, the 'Meet Your Master' event, and their works are regularly exhibited in local libraries.