Crochet and comedy come together in the Quartier des Spectacles on Nuit Blanche
Montreal has no shortage of comedy shows or craft meetups, but every once in a while, an event comes along that feels like it could only happen here.
On Saturday, Feb. 28, in the midst of Nuit Blanche festivities, Crochet & Comedy delivers its most ambitious edition yet, The Yarn Ball, to Café Cléopâtre for a one-night-only takeover that blends stand-up comedy, live crafting, yarn giveaways, and a full-on handmade fashion moment. Equal parts cozy and chaotic, the show has quietly become one of the city’s most unique and fun nights out.
At the heart of it all is host Shosho Abotouk, a comedian, crocheter, and community builder who founded a crochet club back in 2018. A few years later, she began experimenting with guided crochet shows as a way for knitters and crocheters to gather, work on their projects, and socialize. “It was just another offering for the club,” Abotouk says. “For crocheters and knitters in the city. We get together, everyone brings their own project, we meet, we hang out, we chat.”
The comedy element wasn’t there at first. At the time, Abotouk was about a year into doing stand-up in Montreal when her business coach jokingly suggested combining her interests. “He would always be like, ‘How can we tie all your interests together?’” she recalls. “And one day he joked, ‘Oh, crocheting comedy.’ I laughed because those two things don’t really go hand in hand.”
Until they did.
The first Crochet & Comedy show was intentionally low-key, shared mostly within the club and not promoted in comedy circles. What happened next surprised everyone, especially the comics. “All of a sudden the room is just full of very polite crafters,” Abotouk laughs. “Their energy is very, like, craft girly. Very ‘tee-hee.’”
That gentle, attentive audience changed the dynamic entirely. “It literally forces comedians to pay attention to the room,” she says. “It forces them to be in the moment instead of on autopilot.”
Since then, the show has grown steadily, with around 10 editions so far, and some pulling crowds of over 100 crocheters, knitters, and comedy fans. For Abotouk, the appeal goes beyond novelty. “Crocheting and knitting has been around since the beginning of time,” she says. “But having a wild, silly night out just for crafters is insanely rare. It went way beyond my expectations.”
The upcoming Yarn Ball marks a major milestone, landing at Café Cléopâtre, a venue Abotouk calls legendary and iconic. “It’s a cabaret on top of a strip club,” she says. “It fits the show so well because it has this silly, cozy, chaotic vibe.”
The lineup features Ray Resvick, Sadie Moland, Serag Meletian, and Walter Lyng, alongside yarn-themed crowd games, prize giveaways, and Tyler Lemco live painting the evening. “I’m so freaking proud of this lineup,” Abotouk says. “We’ve got killer comedians, and adding live painting just adds more magic.”
Because it is The Yarn Ball, the show also leans hard into fashion, handmade style specifically. Audience members are invited to wear or bring something they have made for a Best Dressed in Handmade showcase, with the room voting on a winner and a big prize awarded at the end. “A lot of our audience is going to be coming in wearing stuff they made,” Abotouk says. “It’s just going to be a huge vibe.”
Doors open at 7:30 p.m., with an 8:15 p.m. showtime. The night runs about 90 minutes with a short intermission. It is an 18+ venue with cash-only bar service, and a limited number of themed crochet kits will be available for those inspired to start crafting mid-show.
For anyone searching for fun things to do in Montreal, especially something that does not feel like the same old Saturday night, Crochet & Comedy: The Yarn Ball offers that rare intersection of community, creativity, and comedy.
“One night only,” Abotouk says. “And it’s going to be so much fun.”
Tickets available on Eventbrite or at the door.