To recognize the 250th anniversaries of the Declaration of Independence and the Battle of Pell’s Point, Pelham community members are coming together for Fiber Fridays and Stitching Saturdays at the Pelham Public Library to create a crocheted community banner.

On October 18, 1776 Colonel John Glover successfully held off and delayed the British troops of General Sir William Howe in a series of skirmishes on the eastern bank of the Hutchinson River near Split Rock.  Howe’s goal was to trap and defeat General George Washington and the continental army as it fled Manhattan and deal a fatal blow to the American revolution.

Being heavily outnumbered by British and Hessian troops, Glover played defense and had his men fight from behind stone walls and natural barriers. This tactic resulted in more than 200 British casualties. Glover held off the British troops long enough to allow Washington to move his continental troops from Harlem Heights to White Plains unharmed. To honor this pivotal battle, the idea for a crochet banner was born.

Annual celebrations marking the Battle of Pell’s Point and the signing of the Declaration of Independence are often tied to the specific dates of these historic events.  With this in mind, Tash Gross, organizer and coordinator of Fiber Fridays at the library, spawned the idea of a crochet banner which would allow all community members to contribute.  

“When I was at the New York Library Association conference in November, one of the talks I attended was about fiber arts and libraries,” said Gross. “One of the librarians presenting talked about the community blanket project she had organized at her own library, and it really inspired me. He talked about how it allowed for so many ways to participate, folks could come crochet at the library’s fiber club, they could take kits home, they could come to classes for beginners, that’s something I really wanted to see happen here at our library.”

Currently, the library is accepting 5×5 crocheted granny squares.  This size was chosen because they are easy for beginners to complete as they only require two or three basic stitches, but can also be made more complex for advanced crocheters. The leaders of the program hope crocheters of all skill levels will participate and crochet kits are even being provided by the library for those just getting started.

“My priority was making it an approachable first project for folks just learning how to crochet; 5×5 isn’t too big, and you really only need to know two or three stitches if you want to make one!” said Gross. “There are so many wonderful creative things you can do with granny squares, and so many fun patterns to try: everything from abstract color-work to elaborate lace patterns to 3D flowers.”

In the long run, Gross is hopeful that this initiative will draw more people to the fiber arts by making it a less solitary activity. Bringing people together in this setting allows for the development of relationships that may not happen elsewhere, he said. 

“I hope they feel inspired. I hope it inspires folks to pick up something creative, whatever that might be. It’s so important, especially at a time when we’re being encouraged to outsource so much of our human creative process to AI, that we find ways to stay in touch with those skills, and keep our brains working in that way.”