Charming Threads: Sam Barsky's Baltimore Landmark Sweaters

Sam Barsky is a world-renowned artistic knitter and folk artist. Famous for his bold, intricate patterns, Sam hand-knits detailed stitches of iconic landmarks, nature scenes, and slices of everyday life into a sweater, without the use of a pattern.

Originally from Baltimore, Sam Barsky's journey into the world of knitting began as a therapeutic escape. Diagnosed with a chronic illness, Sam turned to knitting in 1999 to find solace and purpose. Since then, he has created more than 166 original sweaters with designs of places like the Golden Gate Bridge, Times Square, and Stonehenge, taking photos of himself at sites he has knit along the way. Incredibly, his sweaters are not for sale.

An authentic and genuine speaker and knitting teacher, Sam has traveled around the globe taking photos with his creations in front of the landmarks he has knit, and been interviewed by Time Magazine, Good Morning America, NPR, BBC, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, sharing the stories woven into each piece. Sam's contributions to folk art will be showcased at an upcoming exhibit at The Smithsonian Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC, running from August 2025 through July 2026.

Learn more about Sam's process and see some of his sweaters in person at the Pratt Library's historic Central branch! The evening will focus on his work featuring his hometown of Baltimore and some of Charm City's iconic landmarks.

Registration for this talk is required as space is limited.

Host or Publisher Enoch Pratt Free Library