Mary Colucci
Board of Directors, CGOA
Executive Director, Craft Yarn Council
Wow, it’s been 20 years since CGOA was formed. I remember
meeting CGOA Founder Gwen Blakely Kinsler back in the mid-1990s when she was
organizing the first Chain Link conference. It’s amazing to see how CGOA has
grown from that small group of enthusiasts to a national network of crochet
fans.
CGOA is credited with raising awareness of crochet in the
industry. Before CGOA, the yarn industry tended to be more knit-centric. As
CGOA provided crocheters with a more unified voice, yarn manufacturers and
publishers took notice. They began to realize the diversity of crocheters and
the need for finer yarns, a more extensive selection of crochet patterns and they
responded with exciting new yarns and an array of magazines specifically
devoted to crochet.
The organization also reached out to crocheters nationwide
to create local chapters. Today, at guild chapters around the country,
crocheters regularly gather to enjoy the camaraderie of their shared passion.
CGOA’s national conference also has evolved. Its educational
programs now provide members with the opportunity to take classes from
nationally and internationally known crochet experts. Most importantly, the
conference continues to serve as a community meeting place for crocheters from
around the country to meet, greet, and share.
Of course, CGOA has done much more, including developing its
acclaimed Masters Program. It’s this program that provides members with the
opportunity to build their expertise with guidance from crochet experts.
From a personal perspective, CGOA and TKGA national and its
chapters have always been tremendous supporters of Craft Yarn Council’s
education initiatives. When the Council organized Knit Out & Crochet
Events, it was guild members who committed to staff the Learn to Crochet and
Knit tables at these venues. They literally taught thousands of novices how to
crochet and knit. We couldn’t have done it without them and hopefully in the
process many of these newbies went on to join that local guild.
Guild members have also been generous supporters of Halos for Hope, the wonderful charity that is
being supported by the Crochetville blog
tour, Warm Up America! and other industry charities,
along with some of the Council’s more fun events like I Love Yarn Day, which is the celebrated
on the second Friday of October. A number of guild chapters planned special
events on that day to teach crochet to others and once again helped to raise
awareness of the craft.
CGOA and its chapters have created an amazing community,
which should be celebrated in March and year round!
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