With a ball of ivory-colored yarn and two knitting needles, Julia Rabe connects a pattern of tight loops together, by pulling one through another with needles.
The physical science junior is knitting an afghan as a wedding present for a friend. The blanket will be about seven feet long and will occupy a lot of Rabe's spare time.
"It just depends on how often I work on it," Rabe said. "It could take a month if I work on it a lot, or it could take two months."
Rabe and nine other students make up the MSU Yarnworks club. The group formed last year in a West Holmes Hall lounge, and this year moved to the Van Hoosen Hall lounge for a more relaxing environment.
"We decided to move to Van Hoosen because there aren't people in here watching football, like most people are doing on Sundays," Rabe said.
Members meet every other Sunday for one hour.
Although some people might assume that the club is exclusive to women, male attendee Paul Summers said it's not.
"Guys have become slackers," said Summers, a Lansing resident. "150 years ago, men had to do this all the time."
The club consists of two groups - knitters and crocheters. The only difference being the equipment. Knitters use two needles and crocheters use one hook.
Accounting senior and club crochet president Jen Sarb said Yarnworks was started for people who like to knit and crochet, as well as teach people who want to learn.
"People would ask how we did it, so we started a club to teach a lot of people, opposed to teaching one person at a time," Sarb said.
Group members also are extending their hobby to benefit the community.
In 2003, group members donated homemade hats to Relay For Life, an overnight team event that raises funds for cancer research.
The club is currently working on a project called "Warm Up America." The two groups are making 7-by-9-inch squares that will be sewn together to make blankets. The blankets will be donated to homeless shelters and the less fortunate to help keep them warm during the winter season. The club will join members of the community on Oct. 30 at Michael's Arts & Crafts, 540 Frandor Ave., in Lansing, to collect and sew the squares together.
Members say they enjoying crocheting and knitting because it's easy and you can do it while doing other things. Completing a project - socks, scarves, sweaters and afghans - gives members a sense of accomplishment.
"The results are obvious. It's not like reading a book for an hour," Rabe said. "When you see it, it's like 'wow, I did this.'"
Rabe and other club members said their products are only for special people and causes.
"I don't think there is anything anyone could pay me to do this for them," Rabe said.
"It's a lot of work, and it has to be something you want to do for someone."
