The University of Wyoming has many student clubs, but one that might be new to many is called Tea and Twine. The club was formed this semester by Aris Shank, a freshman in the Anthropology department. Shank described their club as a place for students to get together and work on fiber art projects while drinking tea and chatting with friends.
“Last semester was my first semester of college, and I’d been going to a couple different clubs here and there to try and make friends. It wasn’t really working out. I didn’t see any clubs for stuff like crochet and knitting, and that was something I had gotten really into over the summer. So with a couple of girls on my floor, which is an art floor, it wasn’t too hard to find people who did crochet, and we started this club up. I like the idea of having tea parties, so that’s the tea part,” Shank said.
Tea and Twine meet Fridays in the Cooper Carriage House at 5 p.m.
“It’s got a cute little living room space, it’s perfect,” Shank said. The space allows members the space to spread out materials and get cozy while they work. Crochet is known to be a little hard on the fingers, so comfortable couches are always a plus.
The club also welcomes members of any experience and skill level.“Not a lot of people crochet anymore. It’s kind of a dying craft, so we’ve had a couple new people come in who don’t know how to crochet, and we teach them the basics,” Shank said. “My VP comes in every time with a bunch of crochet hooks and yarn just for people to craft whatever they want to at the time.”
But it isn’t just crochet that is done at these meetings. “We have some girls who knit, a couple who do embroidery, and one girl who does weaving and makes blankets,” Shank said.
New hobbies can help destress during this final stretch of the semester, and fiber arts is a great way to keep your hands busy. Materials are typically not expensive, and the club encourages anyone interested to stop by, even if just for a bit. The club also welcomes those who are just looking for a moment of peace in their week.
“We have one girl who just comes and does her homework and drinks tea,” Shank said.
For more information about Tea and Twine, you can email the president at ashank2@uwyo.edu or check out the club’s Instagram page @tea_twine.
