The Indiana University Auditorium is collaborating with Ellettsville yarn and romance bookstore Knitting Romance on a crafting project to help welcome actress Sutton Foster for her Oct. 6 visit.
For the collaboration, anyone is invited to contribute a 5-by-5-inch cream or crimson granny square that will help create a blanket. Anyone who creates a square is instructed to drop it off at Knitting Romance on 123 N. Sale St. in Ellettsville.
Grace Meyer, assistant director for education and community engagement, said the auditorium frequently leaves gifts for visiting performers and guests to thank them for their time. Once the quilt is made, Meyer said they plan to leave it in Foster’s dressing room.
The auditorium originally decided to start the project after doing some research on Foster and finding out that she is an avid crafter.
“She loves crocheting, wrote a book about it and hosts workshops and retreats around the country for people who just need a break,” Meyer said. “One of our marketing assistants had this idea, and she was like, ‘Well, I feel like we should crochet for her something.’”
Foster’s book is called “Hooked” and is about how crafting has helped her navigate tough times with family, love and her career.
Other than just thanking Foster for coming to the auditorium, Meyer said that the project's other goal is centered around community building. Part of her job at the auditorium is to create events that help bring the community together, so when the auditorium’s marketing assistant, senior Katherine Stalmah, came up with the idea, it piqued Meyer’s interest.
Stalmah said Foster’s book shines a light on the important role crafting can have in your life, which she relates to, as it has connected her to many of her family members and friends.
“She told us in her book how much crafting means to her, so what better way to show her how much she means to us than by joining all kinds of people together with crafting,” Stalmah said.
talmah herself got into crocheting after her grandmother taught her when she was younger. She said it has given her an outlet as well as connected her with her grandmother and generations of her family that have done similar crafts. Stalmah said even at her job at the auditorium, some of her favorite memories have been creating kids' crafts with her co-workers.
Lynn Bloch, owner of Knitting Romance, joined in on the project because of the community connection. She actually didn’t know who Foster was when Meyer told her the idea.
“I just heard community and teaching and making this special thing for this person as a welcome, and it just appealed to me,” Bloch said. “The crafting community is always so supportive, and I knew somehow we could get this done.”
The yarn and bookstore hosts events from book clubs to knitting sessions or painting classes.
On Oct. 26, the store is hosting a midnight release party for the new “A Court of Thorns and Roses” book. Bloch also said they have yarn nights from 6-8 p.m. every Tuesday, where people can knit, crochet, embroider and hang out.
To finalize the project and turn the granny squares into a blanket, Bloch will also be hosting people at her store to help stitch it together. Meyer, who is working on this event with her, said she doesn’t know if it will be open to the community or just the auditorium staff yet, but the auditorium and Knitting Romance will post on their social media accounts when they have decided.
Meyer said the auditorium included Knitting Romance because the staff knew they couldn’t do it on their own. She said most of the team at the auditorium weren’t knitting and crocheting experts, so they looked to the local community for help.
“I think that it’s great to partner with groups to raise up other organizations in the area, as well, and put a little spotlight on them,” Meyer said.
