The Hookups Origin Story
The Hookups Origin Story
A little yarn, a chance email, a shopping adventure… and a whole lot of friendship.
Long before Facebook groups, Instagram and sharing photos online, a little yarn adventure brought a group of like-minded crafters together — and Toronto Crochet Hookups Group was born!
It all started in the days of old-school internet chat forums, when an online acquaintance from California emailed one of our members. She was coming to Toronto with her husband and wondered if someone could show her the best places to shop for yarn. Of course, the answer was yes! Yarn shopping is never a hardship-after all, there is always room for one more skein right? But why stop at one yarn-loving visitor? An invitation went out through the chat groups, and a much bigger adventure began.
Our first gathering took us to Paton's yarn warehouse on Dufferin Street, followed by lunch at the neighbouring Tim Hortons. Then it was off to Dufferin Mall for more supplies, more shopping and, eventually, a wonderfully crowded dinner in the food court. Somewhere between the yarn shopping and the good company, an idea took hold: let's do this again next month!
What began as informal get-togethers in members' homes soon grew too big for anyone's living room. Thanks to Kerry, the group found a new home at Strathmore Boulevard Church of Christ, where members have gathered for years. When the church needs the space, we sometimes take our projects and conversation to a nearby café instead.
Over the years, the group has changed, friendships have grown, and new faces have joined the circle. Some early members have moved on, but the spirit of those first gatherings lives on. One of our original members is still here to remember how it all began — and to see the community continuing to thrive.
We even had our moment in the spotlight at the Needlework Festival, setting up a booth and volunteering to teach classes. There was plenty of work involved, but plenty of fun, too!
Well, we do love a good yarn, and we certainly know how to get hooked on a hobby! Our name has a playful double meaning, and we'll let your imagination have a little fun with that one. 😉 The important thing is that our hookups are all about connecting people through creativity, conversation and a shared love of making things by hand.
Today, crochet remains at the heart of our group, but we're happy to welcome knitters, quilters and fellow fibre-art enthusiasts, too. We're not a formal class or instructional group. Instead, we're a friendly community where people bring their projects, share ideas, exchange experience and lend a helping hand when they can.
You might arrive knowing exactly what you're making, or you might come simply looking for some creative company. Either way, there's a place for you here.
A little yarn, a lot of friendship — and always room for one more at the crafting table!