What's Craft Night at Scratch Like?

Welcoming, relaxed, fun, and cozy: that’s what it feels like to be at craft night.

Grab your hand-craft of choice and head over to Scratch on the green in Lebanon on Thursday nights at from 6-9 pm.

Plop down and feel right at home on the roomy comfy counches adorned with knitted afgans.

A Crafting Sanctuary

Come and go as you please. I arrived after the kids were in bed at 7 and left at 8:30. So drop in anytime in the three hour window to craft. Jessica, one of the proprietors of Scratch, said that people bring their own munchies and take-out to enjoy at craft night. It’s a well attended gathering, often with over ten people each week.

There was a spot on one of the couches so I sat down and had a lovely conversation with a lady who had just moved to the area. We talked about capsule wardrobes, making one’s own clothes, the crafts our relatives used to do like tatting, and the projects we like to work on. The conversation was so natural and I felt comfortable.

I talked to another lady who was having trouble with the lacing in her top. She was working on this beautiful pewter colored top she showed us. I marveled at the handiwork. I felt like this was a great group to be with if you had a question, wanted to share about your progress on your project (or lament on your lack thereof), wanted inspiration, or just wanted to be around people and soak it in.

Not a talker, that’s okay. Some people just sat and took in the scene, crafting away.

So Much Fun, I Plan to Go Again

I underestimated the impact of sharing your hobby with others, how fun and rewarding it was. Just getting time to craft and sit with people who also enjoy the art of making something was so great. I went home wanting to learn to make more than just a triangular shaped pot holder (yes, I’m having some issues on making a square potholder…but I’ll get there).

I plan to go again and hope to take one of their reasonably priced craft classes too like making a hat or maybe even a scarf or sock. Maybe I’ll even try one of these kits to get started.

Check Out Their Unique Special Events

Scratch has guests and classes for the local craft community to enjoy and learn. On craft night there was a special presentation by Sam Barksy about his place-based sweater work where he knits sweaters with landmarks on them and then takes selfies. He candidly answered questions. I heard wows and ohh and lots of thank you so much for coming. After the presentation he shared the fastest he’s knitted a sweater was three weeks, which for a newbie to the craft world meant nothing to me, but to everyone else it was super impressive. Apparently knitting a sweater takes at least 30 hours of work. Forum knitters online talked about finishing a simple sweater in a month and a complex one in three months or longer. So three weeks, wow.

They also have a new club where you can get special yard send to your house and learn about one of their niche indie dyers each month, like Lolabean. They also have classes to go with the yarn, which is free for Cast-On Club members.