Knitters invited to craft, mingle Saturday

Knitting, unlike, say, tennis, is a solitary hobby.

It's easy to look down and get engrossed in your work -- knit one, purl two, knit one, purl two, knit one, purl two…

That's why Wool and Co., a yarn shop in Geneva, has joined the fourth annual Worldwide Knit in Public Day on Saturday.

"You tend to get a little bit myopic and inward-focused. You lose the social aspect if you become a knitting machine," said Neil Edmondson, co-owner of the store with his wife, Lesley.

So knitters (and crocheters, too) are welcome to bring a lawn chair and set a-spell outside the store at 23 S. Third St., from 1 to 4 p.m. Besides gabbing with fellow knitters, you can win gift cards to the store.

There will be free knitting lessons at 2 and 3 p.m.

Wool and Co. is used to hosting group knits three times a week, where people swap ideas and tips. It offers birthday parties for children, where they can learn to knit and start a purse or scarf.

Knitting may not seem like a warm-weather activity; who wants to sit with an in-progress afghan on their lap when it is 80 degrees outside? But Edmondson said in summer, knitters typically choose lighter, smaller projects, such as socks. And there will be a canopy.

Other Worldwide Knit in Public Events are planned at Lions Park in Elk Grove Village and at the Ogilvie Transportation Center and Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. There are also virtual meetings, at www.etsy.com and www.planetpurl.com.

For more information about Worldwide Knit in Public, visit www.wwkipday.com.