Janice Creenaune meets Margaret Groom, a long-term resident of the Northern Illawarra, who owned and ran a bookshop in Sydney. In retirement she co-ordinates The First Wednesday Knitting Club in Thirroul Library. Photos by Janice Creenaune.
Margaret Groom is active and gregarious, with a sparkle in her eyes that immediately draws people to her. She is the ideal person to bring people together and facilitate sessions of craftwork at Thirroul Library.
“My part is really to coordinate details, to remind members of meetings and liaise with Thirroul Library,” she says. “I merely want to keep the group going. A great group can die when nobody deals with the details and I want to ensure it doesn’t die.”
The group began more than 11 years ago. “I saw another group and thought, ‘I would like to join that group’, but it was in another area. I was encouraged to post a sign at Thirroul Library and drew out a few like-minded. Many of those ladies from the early days are still in the group. Others have joined along the way and we continue to welcome new members.”
Margaret is delighted to say that even after 11 years there is really never a harsh word. “That said, we do not always agree on all topics of discussion, but there are never harsh words. We love being together.
“We discuss everything from politics to local happenings to whatever comes up really.”
It is obvious that this craft group does more than mere craft. Their 11-year communion is more a solidarity of action. “We meet, we talk, we learn from each other about everything as well as craft techniques and we produce useful items as well.
I make scarves, beanies and blankets, but the group is very creative and ideas swell and sometimes spark from each other.
“We decided to call it The First Wednesday Knitting Club.”
The name was strategic to ensure all members always remembered when the club met, and it is not just about knitting either. “While most of us do knit, we really can pursue any activity because, the reality is, we work on our own projects. It may be knitting, crochet, leatherwork, needlework or even Christmas gift bags. It is really up to the group member working on their project. I guess the one restriction is that it is completed on our laps, because the most important thing is that we are together, talking and enjoying each other’s company as we work on our projects,” Margaret says.
Participants have varying degrees of expertise.
“If help or advice is needed, it is offered, but it is not an intentional teaching and learning group,” Margaret says. “It is all about the camaraderie and the friendships while we work on our projects. It is definitely not time-wasting in idle chatter, there is productive output as well. I guess we are a small community in ourselves.”
A few years ago the group took part in a ‘Knits for Nature’ Project, knitting penguin jumpers as a group project. “Oil pollution is a serious threat to little penguins and very dangerous when they become oiled and attempt to preen themselves and clean the toxic oil from their feathers. Ingesting it kills them. The knitted jumpers help to minimise this risk until the natural feathers return to some form of normalisation in the environment.”
It costs nothing to join and Margaret says that the group is grateful to Thirroul Library for hosting and encouraging them in their work.
“Interestingly we decided movement was another key to a healthy life and so we walk monthly now. Lorelle co-ordinates this and though it is comprised of craft group members other ‘non-knitters’ are also welcome,” Margaret says.
The First Wednesday Knitting Club meets monthly at Thirroul Library. For more information, email margaret.groom@gmail.com
About the writer
Janice Creenaune is a volunteer for PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) Foundation Australia. Email janicecreenaune@gmail.com for further information.
