ELY — The back room at the Ely Library hosts book clubs, author visits, and children’s programming. But on the third Thursday of the month, from noon to 1 p.m., it hosts a group of knitters and crocheters who gather for “deadly knits,” a midday retreat for some creative time while listening to a true-crime podcast.
Knitting is a distinctly portable hobby. Simple projects easily fit in a purse, though more complicated projects deserve a bag of their own.
Knitting is also a hobby that doesn’t require one’s full attention. Once the rhythm of a pattern is established, most can knit by feel with only a glance down now and then. This means knitting is the perfect companion for many activities: audiobooks and podcasts, music, and watching a movie.
Library assistant Tricia Flake, a long-time knitter, got the idea for a library knitting session after seeing a similar program at another library, and she figured podcasts, especially those with a concise story that wraps up in an hour, would be the perfect addition to a library.
Thus, Deadly Knits became part of the library’s monthly offerings. True-crime is one of the most popular genres out there, and Flake chose “Serialously” because “it’s not too graphic” and focuses on more recent true crime topics.
The event does not require preregistration, and a half dozen knitters typically stop by. Tricia’s daughter, Avery, a high school senior doing online PSEO, is usually the youngest, and the age range rises well into the 70s.
Everyone brings their own project, though last year, many were working on the same “granny square challenge” project.
“People can help each other,” said Flake, who said many of the knitters gathered are already acquainted with each other.
Most are bringing simpler projects such as baby blankets, hats, and Afghans.
As podcast host Annie Elise went into an hour-long exploration of some recent Epstein file revelations, the group sat and knitted, working on a baby blanket, a warm hat, and a scarf.
Flake learned to knit about 12 years ago, she said, and was taught by a former library employee. Avery learned a few years ago from her mother and was busy following a hat pattern she had found online and stored on her phone.
The program is one of the many free activities offered at the library. The most popular activities, Flake said, are craft-related and are for adults and children to work on together, as well as activities that appeal to homeschool families.
“The Friends of the Ely Library fund a lot of our programs,” she said.
It’s easy to get a library card, which is good at all the Arrowhead Library System members in the region. The library requires a photo ID plus proof of residence in the wider Ely area. In addition to books, the library lends out DVDs, audiobooks, magazines, science tools, and even state park passes.
The library has free Wi-Fi, which extends into the parking lot for after-hours use, and people can print out copies for a small fee.
The library is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m., though closed for holidays (check elylibrary.org for the schedule). The library will be closed April 1-2, while library staff are attending the state library association conference. The library is also closed on April 3 for Good Friday.