Knitting Stitches While Watching Baseball Pitches
Stitch n' Pitch events get you knitting stitches at the ballpark
I was sitting in a minor league ballpark today with my family, watching one pretty awful game, and wishing I brought my knitting needles. After all, unless your team is scoring continually, there's not much you do with your hands when watching sporting events. I mean, besides eat. Knitting would have been the perfect way to pass the time.
Knit one, striiiiike two!
Enter the aptly named Stitch n' Pitch, an organization that coordinates needle arts events at Major League Baseball stadiums around the country. They partner with local yarn shops and knitting groups to organize the outings. Stitch n' Pitch has events scheduled at 20 MLB games for the 2009 season, approximately one a week from April through September. They also have games scheduled at some minor league ballparks, as well as overseas in Japan.
The program was created by The National Needlearts Association (TNNA) in 2007, after learning about a similar event successfully held by the Seattle Mariners. TNNA was looking at bringing the needle arts "mainstream" and baseball seemed like a good way to do it. There's nothing quite like a crowd of men and women wearing ball caps and working knitting needles to call attention, and interest, to the art.
With Stitch n' Pitch you purchase tickets in a section where you'll be sitting with other needle arts crafters (including knitting, but there might also be people crocheting, embroidering, sewing, etc.). Some groups organize giveaways such as embroidered team ball caps or Stitch n' Pitch logo bags of yarn and patterns. Some use the night to sew or knit for a charity, such as caps or blankets for NICU babies.
Many knitters like to show their allegiance to their team with yarn, decked out in team colors or wearing special scarves, hats, or sweaters created for their team. Stitch n' Pitch shares this great pattern for team socks you can make before you go, or start at the stadium.
Stitch n' Pitch sounds like a fantastic way to spend a day -- even if the game isn't going well, you'll be socializing with fellow knitters and possibly introducing the craft to a whole new audience. Knitting stitches at the ballpark is a great combination of two favorite pastimes.