About Knitters' Day Out
Mission
The goal of Knitters’ Day Out is to promote the enjoyment of knitting, excellence in knitting design and craftsmanship, and to provide educational opportunities for the knitting community.
The motto of KDO is "Knitting Friendships Together." We pay tribute to the fact that knitters are people who are passionate about their craft while welcoming all to join them. The KDO knitting community is composed of people who come together to build friendships regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, religion, age, or access needs.
Knitters’ Day Out strives to welcome, support, and recognize all members of the knitting community in our events. We recognize the creativity of our knitting community flourishes best in an environment where diversity of thought and inclusion of all are priorities.
Our Goal
Knitters’ Day Out, a non-profit event, is planned, organized and run by a dedicated committee of volunteers. Our goal is to make high quality instruction affordable and accessible to keep knitting and other fiber arts traditions alive and flourishing. We enlist nationally recognized instructors and talented regional teachers for a weekend of instruction and friendship that celebrates both traditional and contemporary techniques.
The KDO Committee is committed to providing a welcoming environment for all and to continue to work toward protecting and supporting the most vulnerable in our community. Since its inception, we have supported this belief by asking our participants to donate handmade knit or crocheted items for various charities. Details can be found on our Knitters' Day Out Charity Work page.
The KDO Committee welcomes ideas about how we can improve our events. If you have ideas to share, please contact us.
“We live in sorry times but lo! The future brightens, and knitting is good.”
– Elizabeth Zimmerman
History
It all began in 1985 when the Penn State Extension Service offered a pilot program sponsored by the Craft Yarn Council. Participants received free instruction in teaching knitting. Thus, the seed for Knitters' Day Out was planted. The first KDO was held at the Mechanicsburg Middle School in cooperation with the Mechanicsburg Recreation Board and Penn State Extension Services. In an effort to expand the event and offer sales of knitting products, the committee set off on their own, completely independent of any sponsors.
Over the years KDO has hosted many nationally known instructors, including Barbara Walker, Meg Swansen, Lily Chin, Nicky Epstein, Candace Eisner Strick, Anna Zilboorg, Beth Brown-Reinsel, Nancy Bush, Laura Nelkin, Gwen Bortner, Ann Weaver, Tanis Gray, Alasdair Post-Quinn, Kate Atherley, Ana Campos and Lavanya Patricella. However, our success is primarily due to the many talented regional teachers who provide a solid foundation of knitting instruction.
The motto of KDO is "Knitting Friendships Together." We pay tribute to the fact that knitters are special people who are passionate about their craft while welcoming all to join them.
Committee
Code of Conduct
KDO has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment of any kind. This applies equally to all KDO participants, teachers, vendors, volunteers, and committee members. This includes any comments or behaviors that are discriminatory or causes excessive discomfort to fellow participants.
We ask all participants in KDO events to refrain from making comments in any class, marketplace or other events that are disrespectful to KDO participants, teachers, vendors, volunteers and committee members, and that are disruptive to the event.
Please refrain from:
- offering political views, promoting partisan affiliations, or expressing political opinions
- using profanity, comments that promote drug/alcohol use, personal or racial attacks, pictures or videos containing nudity, and/or disclosing personal information about other people without their permission
KDO participants are not permitted to record or distribute any live classes or other KDO events.
Come join us for KDO 2025 - September 26 & 27, 2025!
