{"id":35404,"date":"2025-11-16T01:47:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T01:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/35404\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T01:47:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T01:47:08","slug":"dozens-gather-in-northeast-philadelphia-as-24-hour-knitathon-kicks-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/35404\/","title":{"rendered":"Dozens gather in Northeast Philadelphia as 24-hour Knitathon kicks off"},"content":{"rendered":"

Knitters, crocheters, and fiber-arts enthusiasts settled in for a 24-hour marathon in Northeast Philadelphia on Saturday as\u00a0Mural Arts Philadelphia<\/a>\u00a0kicked off its second-annual Knitathon \u2014 an overnight craft circle aimed at supporting creative wellness programs. The free event at the\u00a0Tacony LAB Community Art Center<\/a>\u00a0drew participants of all ages, offering workshops, demonstrations, and round-the-clock guidance for beginners.<\/p>\n

Organizers say the marathon is designed to turn what’s often a solitary hobby into an accessible, community-driven experience. It also doubles as a fundraiser, with raffle tickets helping support\u00a0Therapeutic CraftCare<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 an initiative that promotes both physical and mental health.<\/p>\n

For some attendees, it was their first time group crafting.<\/p>\n

“This is my first time knitting in a community actually, and it honestly feels great,” said Mahnoor Bahktiar, who crocheted the sweater she wore to the event.<\/p>\n

Others arrived hoping to learn something new. Working with a plastic, circular loom, ten-year-old Kennedy Austin said the marathon gave her the chance to pick up a skill she hopes to grow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“You get to learn something and work on it and improve, and you could even sell stuff and donate stuff like this to other people that need this,” she said.<\/p>\n

Throughout the event, instructors offered hands-on help to newcomers. The event also provided an outlet for those seeking a therapeutic pastime. Kendell Ball said he turned to knitting after an injury limited his mobility.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I’m not able to physically do a lot of things that I used to,” he said, adding that he hopes to meet new people.<\/p>\n

Lucia Alber, who helps lead programming at the Tacony LAB, said the goal is to create an inclusive space where people can learn and heal through creativity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“We believe in providing people with a free, safe space to create art, learn new skills, and be able to take care of themselves because of those skills,” Alber said.<\/p>\n

The all-nighter also kept things lighthearted \u2014 with a yarn-untangling contest, plenty of laughter, and even a “quiet room” equipped with a bed for those who needed a break.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many participants said the experience left them feeling accomplished.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve been able to make something that I can use\u2026 that also happens to look nice and feel nice,” said John Hitchner.<\/p>\n

Liz Baehr said crafting connects her to a sense of purpose.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I feel pretty strongly that making things with your hands is important to feel fulfilled,” she said. “You’re putting things into the world that [have] a lasting impression.”<\/p>\n

The Knitathon continues through Sunday at noon, with volunteers expecting a steady flow of participants as the community carries the event through its final hours.<\/p>\n

\n More from CBS News\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Knitters, crocheters, and fiber-arts enthusiasts settled in for a 24-hour marathon in Northeast Philadelphia on Saturday as\u00a0Mural Arts…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35405,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[2327,69,71,70,22061],"class_list":{"0":"post-35404","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-philadelphia","8":"tag-northeast-philadelphia","9":"tag-philadelphia","10":"tag-philadelphia-headlines","11":"tag-philadelphia-news","12":"tag-tacony"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35404\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}