COURTESY OF THE YOKNAPATAWPHA ARTS COUNCIL I The Daily Mississippian
As any student or local can tell you, art is a vital part of the Oxford culture. This town is the proud home of galleries, exhibitions and festivals celebrating artists both near and far for their works. This weekend, Oxford will honor lovers of knitting and fiber arts.
Tonight the Powerhouse will begin hosting the Fourth Annual Oxford Fiber Arts Festival, led by Knit1 Oxford. The event will continue through Feb. 2, and all are welcome. General admission is only $1.
“We’re very excited. This is our fourth annual festival, and we are ready for all of the events,” Patsy Engelhard of Knit1 Oxford said.
The festival will include workshops for beginners and professionals, lectures on the art form and children’s events. Local and traveling vendors will gather together to learn and share their passion. Some vendors are coming from as far as Cat Springs, Texas.
“It’s very exciting,” Engelhard said, “because many of the things the vendors are selling you can’t find in stores.”
Following a reception at 5:30 p.m., the festival will present “Knitting through the Ages” by Lee Waltress of Pontotoc. Wine and snacks will be provided along with door prizes.
The festival is not just for adults, however. Saturday, the festival will provide activities for the whole family and pets.
The small classes range in topics from tatting to dye, and many are available for both expert and inexperienced knitters. Even children are invited to learn.
“We have classes for people who knit all the time and for people who have never held a needle,” Engelhard explained.
The fiber arts community is also excited to give back to those in need. “Share the Warmth” blankets will be raffled at the festival. Each square in these blankets have been created by volunteers and later seamed together.
In the past, the proceeds from Share the Warmth have gone to Oxford and Lafayette County schools, the Boys & Girls Club and the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council (YAC). This year, the knitting community has chosen Doors of Hope Transition Ministries to receive the donations.
Doors of Hope is a non-profit organization that supports transitional families in Lafayette County. They provide mentoring, life-skills training and housing in order to teach self-reliance and stability to those in need.
When asked why Doors of Hope was chosen this year, Engelhard said, “The reason is simple: we love their mission, and we’re delighted to support them. They are a great organization, doing great work in our community.”
With this in mind, the knitting community of North Mississippi is ready to celebrate and share their craft during the Fourth Annual Fiber Arts Festival, with locals and visitors from throughout the South. Knit1 Oxford promises that this year is “our fourth and best ever!”
Workshops for this weekend are available for sign-up online at the Knit1 Oxford website, www.knit1oxford.com.
