Yes, it’s really a thing and we’re really doing it!

But isn’t it supposed to be on Saturday. Why are we doing our’s on a Sunday?

Whoa, slow down! We haven’t said what we’re talking about yet. You can’t just jump into the date issue without explaining what the event is.

It’s just that I’m so excited – it only comes around once a year and I want to make sure I’m there on time.

Ok, let’s take a step back, do some yoga breathing and start at the beginning..

We’re talking about World Wide Knit in Public Day also known as WWKIPDay and it takes place on the second weekend in June. And a bit like the way that New Zealand gets its New Year before London, in Hackney we get our WWKIPday a day later than San Francisco gets their’s.

Hang on – is there a WWKIPDay event in San Francisco?

Oh yes, and in Nova Scotia and Malmö and Adelaide and Dubai and Billericay and basically all over the world. But our one is going to be in  Well Street Common in Hackney because our WWKIPDay is part of the Well Street Common Festival, where they make a special place for us knitters. They’ve also got a pretty good record on the sunshine front. Plus doing it on Sunday allows the shop to stay open on Saturday.

OK, never mind about the date anymore. I get it. Can we go back to talking about the WWKIPDay?

With pleasure!

It’s the kookiest international day of woolly action and has absolutely no higher purpose than to share our love of our loopy passtime by being out there with our knitting.

Explain that it’s for real. Otherwise they might think it’s another wind-up like the Hackney Downs goats and the roof top sheep and those other nonsense stories you sometimes tell.

It really is a thing – I promise. It started in 2005 with 25 events around the world and had 750 by 2009. I can’t find a number for 2023 but I’m going to bet it’s way over a thousand now, and looks from the website like the only region that has no events is the Arctic Circle (we warmly welcome all Arctic Circle knitters who have no local events to join us in Well Street Common).

And what do we all need to do to get involved?

You just rock up at Well Street Common anytime between 2.00 and 5.00 on Sunday 9 June.. The common is sandwiched between Victoria Park Road, Gascoyne Road and Meynell Crescent, London E9 (less than 10 mins walk from Homerton Overground Station). Our What3Words location will be ///coats.verse.swept, right next to the art tent.

Should we bring anything?

If you don’t want to sit on the ground, it’s a good idea to bring your own cushion or folding chair, and your knitting (obvs.). Also it will be mid afternoon so shareable snackerels and tea-time nicees  would work out well too.

Ahh, cake you say? What if my non-knitting friends and relations come with me? Will they feel left out?

We have a plan for them too! There will be plenty of spare practice wool and needles and help for getting new knitters on the way with their first stitches. Plus the neighbouring Craft Tent is a Make Town production so will be full of cool activities for kids. And yes, we will share the cake too.

So how do I book?

You don’t need to! It’s just a rock-up-and-knit thing.  No tickets, no passports, no bouncers, no gates. Just wool, needles and jolly knitters.

See you on Well Street Common in a few weeks!