It’s no yarn to say that Bryant University’s Tight Knit Community is about a lot more than weaving fibers together. 

Students in the knitting and crocheting club do their work for a good cause: the hats, scarves, and blankets they make are donated to the Rhode Island based Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.  

Participants also reinforce many of the career-building lessons they learn in class and in programs like Innovation and Design Thinking for All (IDEA), such as the importance of building a network of connections, mentorship, and learning from failure.  

Loop in some serious stress relief, too, says club member and Accounting major Char Dunn ’26, who says she started crocheting “because I didn't like any sweaters I saw in stores and thought I could make my own.”  

“It gave me the power to create something instead of just purchasing things. I like the methodic movement of crochet because it takes my mind off things like being anxious about an exam.” 

Launched in fall of 2023, the club was conceived by Colleen Enestvedt, coordinator of student activities and service within Bryant’s Office of Student Activities.  

“I love to crochet, and I know there are plenty of other people who do, too,” she says. “It’s a great way to build a community on campus while also doing something to give back off-campus as well.” 

Open to faculty and staff as well as students, the club meets for an hour at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays on the second floor of the Fisher Student Center. Participants typically form a knitting circle and engage in quiet conversation as their fingers manipulate fiber and needles.  

On a February afternoon, Abbie Ciriello, ’28, is working on a crucifix for her Bible studies group. “It's creative expression that you can do whatever you want to,” the Marketing major says. “You can make it a long project or something quick.” 

Not only is “community” in the group’s name, but it’s interwoven with the club’s purpose. Experienced knitters are happy to mentor newcomers, and members have recruited friends and classmates to come to the club and learn, Enestvedt says.  

“People like Char are great at teaching others and like passing on these skills,” she says. “You can watch videos to learn, but I think there's something about having someone sit there with you and share their hobby.” 

Like many club members, Kaitlin Hoy ’28 had minimal experience with knitting or crocheting before joining Tight Knit Community.  

“I remember being on the couch with my grandma, and she said, ‘We’re going to make a bumblebee.’ That was probably the worst five hours of my life,” she laughs. “I never touched a pair of needles again until I came to college, and I saw there was a club. Then, I got really into it.” 

Making mistakes is inevitable when learning a new skill, but knitting and crocheting offer a simple opportunity to correct and learn from errors, according to club members.  

“Say you make a mistake in the first stage; are you really going to take the whole thing apart?” says Hoy, a Business Administration major. “You live with it and go on to the next step.” 

“I think it brings a lot of those transferable skills,” agrees Enestvedt. “‘Why isn't my project working? Why isn't this formula happening? And how can I refine that?’” 

Knitting a hat can take many hours, but Dunn can whip out a crocheted coaster in about 15 minutes; she has given them out as holiday gifts to family members and Bryant faculty.  

“Knowing that somebody will appreciate my work and that it will be used makes me happy."

“Knowing that somebody will appreciate my work and that it will be used makes me happy,” she says. 

Tight Knit Community members have completed approximately 15 articles of clothing so far this school year, and plan to deliver donations to the Gloria Gemma Foundation in April.  

“Breast cancer affects all people, but primarily women, so it’s good that we can extend our reach to women beyond Bryant,” says Enestvedt. 

Hoy finds it especially gratifying to knit for cancer patients.  

“There’s no point in doing this for yourself and having it sit on a shelf, so the fact that it's going to charity really makes it more important,” she says.