A woman was recently accosted outside a small restaurant because of her messenger bag.



The skull and knitting-needle crossbones on it declared,  “Knit or Go Home,” and in her hipster-oversized sunglasses and Northwest comfy shoes she looked to be the epitome of the rising movement of young craftspeople/ fiber artistes threatening to awaken the drones of the area from their computer- and TV-induced stupors.



I was the individual who stopped the cool-bag wearing young woman outside of the Rosewood Café last week, because what she wore and declared encapsulated the vibe I’ve wanted to embrace; the cocooning, creating, comforting energy of yarn and needles.



Another individual who wears this energy proudly — and promotes it nationally — is bringing her wool-working vibe to Tully’s Coffee downtown Sunday afternoon, from 4 to 6 p.m.



Gwendolyn Faye’s version of this phenomenon involves one needle — with a hook — and a lot of creativity; she touts the “Crochet Café” she’ll bring to Tully’s as “a virtual crochet lovefest!” with a show-and-tell including projects ranging from items like the curtains and hats as seen in appearances her group, “Crochet Nation,” has made on the DIY Network show “Uncommon Threads” to paintings and other “Crochet Innovations” her group is committed to.



Faye’s event on Sunday will also feature instruction and inspiration doled out in her effervescent, upbeat style; for $15 it serves as a virtual “Crochet 101” that concludes after you’re completely mesmerized by the scope of possibilities. You’ll leave with a Crochet Nation instructional brochure, “Hooked” newsletter, and certified “hooker” status, as well as some new friends.



But if you’re more of a loner, you might want to be like Heather Donald, the innocent Rosewood patron just meeting up with her knitting circle friend Cat for a chat and a bite.



Originally an act of rebellion, her knitting took form as opposition to her mom’s quilting hobby.



Rather than outright rebellion, however, Donald found herself initially interested in knitting after spying knitting patterns published by Elle Magazine. Unfortunately, Donald could find no teachers. Then, in Fairbanks, Alaska, where she attended culinary school, Donald discovered a woman who knitted, and pounced on her for lessons. Every Sunday Donald learned, expanding her knowledge to the point where, when she moved to Missouri, she became a certified knitting instructor because she remembered how hard it had been to find someone to teach her.



Now in Tacoma, far from her family in New York and farther from her initial career in the culinary arts, Donald finds knitting to be a fulfilling hobby. In her day job running Botanic, Inc., Donald suggests, delivers and nurtures interior landscapes.



She finds solace in yarn shops as she contemplates various projects.



For an extra special project like the filmy scarf rendered in Japanese cotton, Donald will peruse Fibers Etc.



At the Lamb’s Ear in Parkland, she might think of a baby blanket project. She’ll consider the colors the mother-to-be likes, rendered in fibers like cotton blends.  For her boyfriend, she might envision the perfect pair of socks.



She acknowledges that, sure, a person could buy the same socks cheaper, but she muses, “I love the look on my boyfriend’s face when I give him the socks.”



Even still, it’s just as well that the guys don’t get involved in the knitting groups.



“It’s so cool to have a group of women sitting around, working on projects, talking about the boys,” Donald muses.



And then there’s the attention. “When you’re out in public knitting, it’s amazing how many people talk to you!”



I chuckle, remembering my own reaction to the yellow “Knit or Go Home” bag, remembering how I saw the bag and felt invited into a secret circle of fiber fetishists. I felt safe telling her, “I like to crochet afghans,” and I felt safe confessing my secret love of stroking foreign fibers.



For her part, Donald is equally candid about her hobby/habit.



“I have a very, very unhealthy knitting book addiction,” she confesses.



She also clues me into another detail of her life as a hipster knitter: “I’m an ADD knitter,” she says, adding, “I like having a sense of accomplishment. This is supposed to be fun.”



I inwardly sing Amen as I take notes. In the end, it seems we’re a circle created of the same fiber, even though we may use different implements.



[Gwendolyn Faye’s Crochet Café, Sunday Oct 21, Tully’s Coffee 764 Broadway, Tacoma $15, call 253.798.5228 to register or email gwen@crochetnation.org]



[Fibers, Etc., 705 Opera Alley, Tacoma, 253. 531.3257]



[Lamb’s Ear Yarn, 4631 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.472.7695]