the story.
chapter 01—1999 → now
In 1999, Debbie Stoller—editor-in-chief of BUST magazine and newly obsessed knitter—gathered a small group of women at a café in New York City and started something that would change the crafting world forever. Armed with yarn, needles, and plenty of opinions, the very first free, public, open-to-all knitting group named “Stitch ‘n Bitch” was born.
The idea was simple: knitting didn’t have to be a solitary, quiet activity. It could be social and fun. Women—and eventually people of all genders—could gather in coffee shops, bars, local yarn stores and libraries to stitch and, yes, bitch about work, relationships, culture, and the world.
Word spread fast. Inspired by news of the NYC group that they read about in BUST, other knitters started their own groups in Chicago and Los Angeles. After the publication of Debbie’s first Stitch ‘n Bitch book in 2003, the concept became even more popular. By the time her second book, Stitch ‘n Bitch Nation was published in 2004, it included profiles of 45 groups from around the US and the globe, and the original Stitch ‘n Bitch web directory boasted hundreds of groups. While the phrase “stitch ‘n bitch” had been used before as a wink at women’s private needlework gatherings, by the early 2000s it had come to mean something different: a public knitting group open to anyone who was interested.
Today there are thousands of such groups in dozens of countries—from Tokyo to Toronto, London to Los Angeles—most tracing their roots back to that first NYC gathering. And while they aren’t all called “Stitch ‘n Bitch” anymore, the idea of a public group where folks can knit and crochet together remains at the heart of each.
This site is the official home of the movement: a place to learn the history, and maybe start your own group.
The first NYC Stitch ‘n Bitch was an open forum where anyone interested in learning to knit could mingle and share their knowledge.
anyone can start a group.
Starting a Stitch ‘n Bitch is easy—it’s just a bunch of folks getting together to knit, nothing more, nothing less. Plan it, get the word out in the right places, and they will come.
pick a place.
Try a café, a bar, a library, or even your local yarn shop. Skip the most popular café in town—you want somewhere a little off the beaten track, where it’s okay to nurse a single cup of tea all night. Case the place first: look for empty tables on the night you’d meet, decent lighting, and (if you’re in a big city) something close to transit or parking. And don’t host at someone’s house—if your host has a conflict or isn’t feeling well, that’s the end of your meeting that week, and newcomers feel weirder dropping into a stranger’s living room than into a café.
set a schedule.
Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday at 7pm tends to work best—enough time to get there after work without a lot of empty time in between. Someone will always have a conflict, so don’t drive yourself crazy trying to please everyone. Once you’ve picked a time and place, hold it: same Bat time, same Bat channel. Most members won’t make it every week, and locking it in is what lets them show up whenever they can.
spread the word.
Set up an email list or group chat so you can ping everyone at once. Post info about your group on Nextdoor, Facebook, Insta—whatever platforms you use. Ask your local yarn shops if you can put up a notice—time, place, and a way to sign up. Drop it on any community boards or group chats you’re already part of. And if you spot someone knitting on the bus or at the bar, ambush them and invite them along.
chapter 03—the books
the books that started a revolution.
stitch ‘n bitch: the knitter’s handbook.
The essential guide for chicks with sticks. Everything from basic stitches to advanced techniques, plus 40 hip patterns.
stitch ‘n bitch nation.
son of stitch ‘n bitch.
stitch ‘n bitch crochet: the happy hooker.
stitch ‘n bitch superstar knitting.
New to knitting? Debbie walks you through the very first steps—casting on, the knit stitch, and how to hold your needles—so you can start your first project right alongside the books.
