Festival draws big crowd
MARSHALL TWP, Allegheny County — Whoever the typical knitter is, Randy Grossman likely does not look like it.
Grossman, who played tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1974 to 1981, was one of the thousands of people who were at the 10th annual Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North.
He has been knitting for nine years.
“You can do some other things while doing it (like watching television or having a conversation),” Grossman of Indiana Township said. “It's peaceful and calming.”
He wore a hand-knit black and gold sweater on Saturday. However, he noted his mother made it for him.
Grossman's wife, Barb, founded the festival 10 years ago to raise money for their daughter's school. At the event held nine years ago, Grossman and his daughter taught a men-only knitting class, the “terrible scarf” class.
Ann Szilagyi, a festival coordinator, said the event has grown over the years. Two years ago, 2,000 people came. Last year, 3,000 people came. More were expected to come this year.
“It's going to be over 3,000 people,” Szilagyi said Saturday.
She attributed the growth to the knitting community.
“Knitters are kind-hearted people. That's what keeps us going,” Szilagyi said.
The event featured a fashion show Friday. Many vendors filled the first floor of the hotel, and numerous classes were held throughout the weekend.Szilagyi said a big attraction this year was an appearance by New York Times bestselling novelist Debbie Macomber, who is a knitter who makes sure to mention knitting at least once in all of her books.Babeth Raible of Allison Park, a member of the Butler County Spinners and Weavers Guild, said spinning, weaving and knitting are good activities for finger dexterity.“And it's so relaxing,” Raible said.In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Raible chose to spin while wearing a fake, green mustache.By the booth for Kraemer Yarns of Nazareth, Northampton County, one of the 650 U.S. Olympic sweaters from the 2014 Sochi winter games was on display.Eleanor Swogger, merchandise manager for the company, said during the previous Olympics, Ralph Lauren got bad publicity because their sweaters for U.S. athletes were made in China. So the company decided it would source all of its materials in the United States for the sweaters for the Sochi Olympics.Kraemer Yarns spun the yarn for the sweaters, and 350 sweaters were worn during opening and closing ceremonies and the other 300 were sold for $650.Marian Lech of Johnstown said the festival had a great selection of vendors. In addition to being a big fan of knitting, she also enjoys pottery.“It fills time that you otherwise would be sitting and doing nothing,” Lech said.Rosemary Callenberg of Fox Chapel came to the festival for the first time Saturday. She was looking to stock up on yarn, and she was amazed by the size of the event.“It's overwhelming but in a good way. You don't know where to go first,” Callenberg said.
