It's a quintessential Seattle afternoon. The sun is hiding and the damp weather sends a shiver down your spine.
At one local coffee shop, a group of men sit quietly discussing life and sipping espresso, fingers busy at work.
Every single Saturday a men's knitting group meets at Kaladi Brothers Coffee in Capitol Hill. They've been doing this for several years after they were formed at an annual men's knitting retreat.
"We just decided that we should start meeting more often," organizer Michael Kelson said.
David Turner is a member of this group, as well as two others. He said he started knitting after he retired a few years ago.
"It’s a social event, it’s productive, it’s creative," Turner added. "It becomes a community center; it becomes a gathering space for people who often live isolated lives."
"Everybody has a knitting story I guess because either their grandmother taught them or they decided to take it up for some bizarre reason," Turner said. "I had a little brother who was dying and he wanted to talk about politics but I didn’t want to hear about it so I said I’ll sit with you but I’ll knit instead."
"Yarn and knitting have moved from the necessary act of creating clothing to a sort of creative endeavor that has very little to do with the clothing," Turned added. "No one would knit a pair of socks because they need socks. But there was a time when you didn’t have socks unless you could knit them."
Bob Beer said that everyone who is a part of the group comes from a variety of backgrounds. Beer is a translator.
"We’re all different people," Beer said. "But the thing we have in common is that we knit."
This particular Saturday, we observed the group knitting socks. Michael Kelson looked on.
"The process of actually knitting those socks and actually creating something from a piece of string is kind of an amazing process," Kelson said. "So it’s really enjoyable, it’s really a good way to wind down and relax and end up with something that you or somebody else will enjoy."
If you are interested in joining the Men's Knitting Group or you would like more information on how you can start one in your community you can find details on their Facebook page.