NORTH BEND — It has no board, president nor any agenda to speak of. But that hardly means the nearly daily meetings of “A Loose Knit Group” have descended into anarchy.

Rather, the knitting club, which gathers inside Books by the Bay, is exactly what its name implies: A casual knot of knitters who want to learn or share a new stitch, get advice, or just hang out with friends while they work on personal projects.

Karolyn Mollier, the unofficial leader, said one of the few goals of the group is to keep the hobby alive. One way to do that is by inspiring knitters of all skill levels to keep at it.

“You have to have a support group to continue to knit,” Mollier said, noting that without one, knitters can become hopelessly entangled in confusing patterns.

A Coos Bay resident and former co-owner of a Coos Bay knitting shop, Mollier said the club is many things to many people, from camaraderie, conversation and a chance to get away from hectic schedules to help when the knitting gets tough.

“If they have a problem, they usually come here,” Mollier said, while sitting with several members at the bookstore’s Grounds Gourmet cafe. “I think we help each other. That’s what the group is about.”

Fellow knitter Linda Lemos of North Bend agreed.

“A lot of projects would not be completed without having some support,” Lemos said. “It’s too expensive to do that.”

And when one knits a stylish sweater, colorful purse or chic hat, the other women often want to try their own.

“I think you need inspiration. You really do,” Mollier said.

The knitters hail from Coquille, Myrtle Point, North Bend and Coos Bay, Mollier said, and the number who attend varies from five to 20, depending on the day. Saturday is the busiest for the ladies who overtake the cafe with their knitting baskets, balls of yarn, knitting needles and lattes. The club, which knits every day but Sunday, is open to men and women of all ages, and already contains people from 9 to 74 years old. Knitters typically meet around 2 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Friends Julia Johnson and Dawnella Michna, both of North Bend, said they come every Saturday to knit, enjoy the atmosphere and the people.

“I love the group because they teach you things,” Johnson said as she stitched colorful yarn with a few nimble twists and a soft click of her knitting needles. “There’s really some experienced knitters here.”

Johnson said members of the group taught her to knit when she joined nearly 6 1/2 years ago while she was pregnant with her oldest daughter.  Now, she uses those skills to make clothes for her children and gifts for friends.

“They like it and it’s homemade. It’s a hobby for me and it’s quick and easy,” Johnson said of making things for children. “It’s fun for the kids to get something that’s not commercial.”

Founded in 2000, or 2001, depending on who you ask, the club started with a group of people who knit at Mollier’s shop. After the store closed, knitters began to meet at North Bend Medical Center but it wasn’t quite the atmosphere they were looking for. Eventually, they ended up at Books by the Bay, which Mollier said has coffee and better lighting.

“We tried other places but this seemed to work best for us,” said  Mollier, who has been knitting for about 43 years.

These days, the group also holds retreats in Lincoln City and Sunriver.

“It’s just grown,” Lemos said. “It’s a little bit of everything.”