The day of Jan. 24 marked the beginning of the brand new Yarn and Thread club (LTYT), where students are able to participate and learn more about fiber arts, a form of art consisting of fabric, yarn, natural, and synthetic fibers. The advisor of the club, teacher Janice Lonnroth, had attempted to create a fiber arts club in the past, but with growing interest amongst her students, it gained enough attention to be approved, she said.

“I had a pair of students approach me to start a crochet club,” Lonnroth said, “I suggested that we broaden it a little bit to include all sorts of fiber arts like crochet, knitting, embroidery, and friendship bracelets.”

Although the club has just begun, the long term goal is that all students will be able to find something they love to do and create new projects, Lonnroth said. Experience in fiber arts is not required, and students interested in learning crocheting, knitting, macrame, etc., are encouraged to come with their friends and learn.

“It’s pretty much a place to do what fiber art you’re really into, and also learn new things and support each other,” Lonnroth said.

Claudia Kupec ‘22, Mariana Rogel ‘23, and Mia Ontiveros ‘23 are the co-founders of the club, and are among those students who went through the process of getting LTYT approved to be a pilot club for second semester. Ontiveros is a beginner in fiber arts herself, and was introduced to the craft by Rogel, she said.

“I was very nervous [to start the club],” Ontiveros said. “I am not exactly the type to speak out loud, so it was scary trying to get signatures of other students.”

Ontiveros and Rogel ended up collecting enough signatures for the club to begin its pilot status, and now that the club has officially started holding meetings with a varying number of students attending each week, their goal is to create a space where students feel comfortable to learn something new. 

“Students may be nervous because there are other people who know how to do fiber arts, but I can connect with them because I am a beginner myself,” Ontiveros said.

LTYT also hopes to be able to positively impact the community, possibly by making hats for homeless people in the area, Rogel said. 

Yarn and Thread club holds meetings every Monday after school at 3:30 p.m. in NC room 250. For more information on meetings or upcoming events, follow (@lths.yarnarts) on Instagram.