The Yarn Crawl capitalizes on the popularity of guerrilla knitting and yarn bombing, the installment of knitted pieces in public spaces such as parking meters, fences and trees. The Craft Yarn Council estimates that there are 50 million knitters today in America, and the broad interest explains why you’ll find Yarn Crawl events in Santa Monica, Claremont, Santa Clarita, Long Beach and elsewhere. At 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Burbank knitting store Unwind, the authors of the new children’s picture book “Extra Yarn” will offer drawing lessons and the store will offer knitting lessons.

“There have been yarn crawls in other parts of the country,” said Stephanie Steinhaus, owner of Unwind and one of the Yarn Crawl organizers. “It’s not a brand new idea. We felt that with the season and things beginning to slow down for knitting, it would be a nice way to remind people of their hobby and passion and keep them excited.”

Prospective crawlers can download a passport for $5, which will be good for a map and tote bag (while supplies last), but a passport is not mandatory to attend the events. For a list of participating stores, consult Yarn Crawl L.A.