For years, members of the Greenville-Butler County Public Library’s Hooked on Crochet Club have gotten weekly instruction on crocheting, knitting and quilting methods.

This weekend, its members decided to use some of the knowledge they’ve gained to give back to the library in the club’s third annual holiday bazaar.

Despite the unseasonably warm weather, the Hooked on Crochet Club have residents of the Camellia City covered in the advent of actual fall weather with crocheted scarves, hats and more.

Another popular addition to the holiday bazaar returns this year in the form of a wide range of baked goods, including the self-described best cookies in the world.

Lorraine Boutwell, a member of the Hooked on Crochet Club, said that this year’s third outing has been a balancing act of new and old ideas from previous years’ events.

More often than not, Boutwell has found that the answer lies somewhere in between.

“You review what you did in the past that did work, and you add to that,” Boutwell said. “And then you try to profit from your mistakes so that you’re not just duplicating the same mistakes over again.

“The food items seemed to really work. We tried to add a variety of our crocheted items because not everybody wants a scarf and a hat.  But we’ve got toys, blankets and baby stuff that adds a different dimension as opposed to just napkins, hats and scarves.”

Other ideas, such as last year’s silent auction, didn’t escape the cutting room floor, due to not maintaining the floor traffic necessary to make it work.

But in its place are a much wider range of items, including books, movies, Christmas decorations, household goods, white elephant items and much more.

With the exception of books and DVDs, everything else on sale is manmade—the result of hours and hours of labor.

But for Boutwell, it’s a small price to pay for an opportunity to help give back to the library.

“We try to give back because we get free classes,” Boutwell said.

“From some of our knowledge that we might’ve gained, we’re trying to turn it back into cash for the library. Because there are still things that the library would like to do that they haven’t been able to do because of circumstances or funds.  Every little bit helps.”