Needle, thread and new friends

Looking for something to do? Consider free weeknight crafting. 

Every week, the social craft group Closeknit Club meets in the evening at various establishments across Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties for two hours of BYO-crafting and community building. 

On July 23, the club met at Medford’s Stokelan Estate Winery from 5-7 p.m. Club members brought their own craft, sat at a long table outside in the courtyard, ordered drinks and snacks, and mingled with new people. It was the first time the club had been to Stokelan, and it still attracted 10 women. 

Danielle Casciato, a 28-year-old social worker from Maple Shade, started Closeknit Club back in March after searching for a way to merge her lifelong hobby of sewing and crocheting with meeting new people. 

“My husband does jiu-jitsu and hockey, and they both are very social activities. He would come home and tell me all about (these social things) and the people he did them with. And I was like, ‘Well, that’s not fair, because I’m sitting at home crocheting alone and watching TV with the animals, and I want to be talking to people while I do it,’” Casciato said. “‘And there’s no reason why I can’t.’”

She initially started searching for crafting and crocheting groups in the area. She’s originally from Philly (she only moved to Camden County four years ago), so she knew there were a lot of crafting groups, like Closeknit, there. However, she noticed there really are not many in New Jersey, and the only free ones she could find were offered at public libraries during the day, which was not feasible for people working nine-to-fives. 

“It’s not super convenient to drive to the city for a lot of people on a weeknight,” she said. “But I know there’s a lot of people who like to craft with other people.” 

So, she decided to fill the gap on her own. 

She picked out a name (“Closeknit Club” came to her one day while showering, she said), made an Instagram page, and started reaching out to her favorite coffee shops to see if they would be interested in letting her host free events at their establishment.

The Instagram page began to gain traction. Posts were being shared. Businesses and locals seemed to really like the idea. Followers, likes and RSVPs to events were coming in. 

She said her first event was the largest, gathering 30 people to Trouble Brewing Coffee House in Haddon Heights. 

“Everybody just kept talking about how happy they were that there was a club to come to and that it was really no stress and very low stakes,” she said. “Even if there’s nothing anybody else can talk about, you can learn about whatever craft the person next to you is doing.”

All sorts of crafts and activities show up at these events: crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidering, clay sculpting, painting, coloring and even reading. All crafts are welcome.  

Closeknit Club continues to meet at Trouble Brewing monthly, almost acting as a homebase for the club. The club also meets at Upcycle Coffee Club in Collingswood on the first Tuesday of the month and at the Cat Lounge by Community Cat Club in Mount Ephraim once a month. (The Cat Lounge meets do require a $5 donation to the Community Cat Club, and attendees must RSVP ahead of time).

Other places the club has stopped by include Tonewood Brewing in Barrington, Laurel Acres Park in Mount Laurel, and Dr. Brewlittles Beer Co. in Maple Shade. 

This month, the club meets at Cafe Antonio’s in Collingswood on August 13, Splitz Bar & Grill at Laurel Lanes in Maple Shade on August 18, Community Cat Lounge on August 20 and Trouble Brewing on August 25, and they all run 5-7 p.m.

Casciato makes sure attendees know it is free to attend any of the Closeknit Club meets (besides the Cat Lounge), and no purchase at the establishments is necessary. 

Most meets gather between ten to fifteen people. There are almost always returnees and newcomers each time. 

Casciato said one of the most fulfilling parts of starting this club is seeing people connect with one another, whether that just be through chatting or sharing crafting tips with one another. She said she has seen a lot of people teach each other about their crafts or certain skills, and in the following weeks, people will come back with the correct supplies and start that craft with the knowledge they learned from others in the club. 

Many attendees – who mostly fall within the early-20s to mid-50s age range, though all ages are welcome – said they appreciate the opportunity to meet new people in a free, low-stress environment. 

“It’s so hard for people who are past college age and in the working world to make friends that aren’t their coworkers or their kids’ friends’ parents. So if you don’t have a means to meet people that way, how are you really meeting people?” said Sarah Angley Altieri, a woman from Willingboro who recently moved to South Jersey. The winery meetup was only her second time coming to crochet, but it has already been a great, social opportunity for her to get out of the house, especially as a full-time remote worker. 

“I feel like most ways of meeting people or socializing is costing us money, so it’s nice that you can just go and do this (for free),” said Abbie Gardner, a woman from Collingswood who has been coming to Closeknit Club for a few months now.

“I don’t embroider, I don’t knit, I don’t crochet, but I color, and it’s just fun to come, create, chat and get into the routine of going to a new place,” she said. “I’d never been to Trouble Brewing before and I’ve never been to this winery before, so it’s a really nice excuse to get out there.”

Follow @closeknit.club on Instagram – which now has more than 850 followers – for event updates and to get in touch with Casciato.