Promoting knitting is like promoting anything else – the more people see of something, the more they come to appreciate it. And the quality and variety of what they see can impress them. Whenever you talk about knitting and show the knit items you’re working on or have completed, always do so with the enthusiasm and pride you feel! It’s catching!

To get knitting into the spotlight, why not:

1. Put together a knitting exhibit for a library showcase. Pool your items with those of other knitter. Possible themes: hearts for February, March is National Craft Month, lace garments for summer, kids' clothes or school items for September, felted items for winter. Plan ahead as these library cases are very much in demand. At the same time, provide a wish list of knit books and magazines to the library for purchase.
   
   
2. Find locations to hold knitting demonstrations or knit-ins: State and County fairs, folk art festivals, large retail book stores such as Barnes and Noble or Borders, knit in the rocking chairs in front of your local Cracker Barrel.
   
   

3. Organize knitters to participate in the Precious Pals™ program – start looking for stuffed animals on sale and then knit up precious outfits for each critter. Organize a photo opportunity when you take the Precious Pals to your local police department or fire department and write up a nice newspaper article to go with the photo. Name the policeman or fireman accepting the items and ask them to share how the Pals will be used, so you can quote them in the article.
   

4. Organize knitters to work on other charity projects – check with your local hospital, for example. Do they need chemo caps? Preemie caps? And check out national charity projects: find a yarn store that is affiliated with Warm Up America or Caps for Kids. Encourage knitters to knit for these worthwhile organizations – and if you get a large quantity of donations, do a write-up for your local paper about the project and what you’re sending.
   
   
5. Organize an all-day or weekend workshop featuring a nationally or regionally known knitting author or teacher. Promote this with a media write-up and photos.
   
   
6. Organize a Certified Knitting Instructor Course through the Craft Yarn Council of America (www.craftyarncouncil.com ).
   
   
7. Offer to teach knitting classes for free to a group of school children, at a library, nursing home, Girl Scouts, a club, and advertise the meeting to the public. Round up inexpensive supplies and a simple pattern or set of instructions they can take with them (you’re free to copy the free knitting lesson for this purpose - and tell them about www.TKGA.com for other resources).
   
   
8. Schedule field trips or yarn crawls – to one or more yarn store that are near or a little farther away. Select a store that has a great selection of yarns and made-up samples.
   
   
9. Hold a knitting contest – perhaps a scarf contest or a cap contest. Announce the winners in your local newspaper – complete with photos! Maybe couple the contest with a knit-a-scarf-for-charity project. In addition to competition-winning scarves, your members will knit scarves that can be donated to a shelter for adults and children.
   
   
10. Wear "Knit All That You Can Knit” T-shirts (available from TKGA: https://tkga.site-ym.com/store/list_products.asp?catid=166072).