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Close-knit community: McLeese lake Farmers Market embraces Knit in Public Day

Square by square, vendors and community members pitched in to make three blankets to give away
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The McLeese lake Farmers Market has been very pleased with how their participation in Knit in Public Day has gone over with the community turning their efforts into quilts like the ones Minnie Biin and Cheryl Todorowich display here. (Wylie Bystedt photo)

The success of the McLeese Lake Farmers Market’s (MLFM) efforts to support locals through knitting proved so successful in 2019 that the market intends to do it again in 2020.

The MLFM believes in supporting local community members whenever it can. In 2019 as part of “Knit in Public Day,” the market began a program of knitting squares to make blankets for local seniors.

Market organizers made wool and knitting needles available at the market and invited the community and vendors to come down and make squares that could be made into blankets.

Many vendors also donated their own wool to the effort and would come to the market with squares already made during the week.

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“The support from the community and vendors for this activity in its first year was so inspiring. By the end of the season, we had enough squares to make three blankets,” said Wylie Bystedt, president of the MLFM.

A local volunteer took the squares and over the winter started to make them into blankets. At the McLeese Lake AGM members were shown two completed blankets and the membership then finalized who in the community received the inaugural blankets. Vendors of the MLFM were really happy with the reception the blankets received from the recipients.

“The market vendors really enjoyed this activity where we were able to give back to the community that has supported us from day one. We plan on continuing this event in 2020 and our kick-off knitting event will be on Sunday, June 14, 2020. Everyone is welcome to join us,” Bystedt said.

Wool and knitting needles will be available all season at the McLeese Lake Farmers Market for those who want to join us for a coffee and knitting at the market with the best view in the Cariboo.

Vendors who are interested in joining the McLeese Lake Farmers Market can contact the market through its Facebook page.



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