Elizaveta Kluchareva, Staff Writer
At Denison, where life gets busy quickly, the Fiber Arts Club is creating a place to slow down.
Tucked away in a well-lit, quiet room on campus, the club offers students a weekly hour to set everything aside and just create.
For club President Ramatu Kamara ‘27, the group’s mission is simple: provide a safe, social space for a traditionally solitary activity.
Kamara finds this dedicated time especially meaningful.
“It’s nice to work with people and just have a dedicated time to kind of set everything aside, especially at Denison, where things can get really busy,” Kamara said. “You at least know that, okay, I can set aside this time to go and knit, crochet, whatever craft I like to do, and do it with people around me.”
The club, which Kamara joined in the fall of her sophomore year, operates as a low-stakes, beginner-friendly environment. It provides members with yarn and needles so newcomers can try a craft before committing.
“You don’t have to have a lot of creative skill,” Kamara said. “You just learn how to do it, and it’s very easy to take it from there.”
However, the club is facing some changes lately. While it saw an influx of freshmen in Fall 2025, this semester has been quieter. According to Kamara, the club wasn’t meeting during the first half of the semester due to leadership changes. As a result, consistent promotion has lagged.
“Sometimes it feels like a surprise for people that we have this club on campus,” Kamara said. “They’re like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know we had a fiber arts club.’”
Two returning members, Sydney Grote ‘28 and Ella Sloat ‘28, echoed this observation. Grote, who learned to knit in high school, noted that the club feels smaller recently. “Some people graduated,” she said.
Sloat added that the club didn’t have a manned table at this year’s Involvement Fair. “There was the table with the QR code, but there wasn’t anyone at it,” she said.
Looking ahead, Kamara’s vision is focused on consistency and visibility. She wants the club to become better known by attending involvement fairs, posting flyers, collaborating with other organizations, and hosting themed events – like a Halloween movie night – to provide incentives beyond just crafting.
“We’re working on just being a more consistent presence in people’s faces, so that they know, ‘Oh, this exists!’” Kamara said. “We’re trying to expand and basically get our name out there, as something to try and just be a comfort environment for anybody who’s ever considered, ‘Oh, I would love to make something.”
For current members, the value is already clear. Sloat, who has been knitting for 13 years, said the club is her only dedicated time to work on projects amid a busy schedule.
“I can’t really find time outside of this club meeting to actually spend knitting,” she said. “This has just been like something fun to do.”
Grote, who joined after an admissions officer mentioned the club, emphasized that no experience is required.
“You can always just come to a meeting and see what it’s like,” she said. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to come back.”
Kamara’s ultimate hope for anyone who walks through the door is simple.
“I hope they leave with a smile,” she said. “Even if the craft isn’t for them, at least they’re happy to know they tried it.”