The "stitch and bitch" is a well-known phenomenon, but this one had a particular focus: we were stitching a long representation of the Macquarie/Wambool River.

Little did we know back in 2015 that we would still be going nearly five years later.

OTHER RECENT ECO NEWS COLUMNS:

We started knitting, crocheting, weaving and generally "yarning" the river during the campaign against the proposal to divert Bathurst's treated effluent to a gold mine in Blayney.

Meeting at the Rahamim Ecological Learning Centre in Busby Street, our quickly-lengthening woolly river began appearing at council meetings and other campaigning events.

The "Water, More Precious Than Gold" campaign produced an amazing coalition of fishers, farmers, environmentalists, kayakers, Aboriginal elders - everyone with a stake in and love of the river.

We won, and the gold mine withdrew to think through Plan B or perhaps C.

But the River Yarners, as we called ourselves, didn't stop. We enjoyed our gentle Friday afternoon get-togethers. So we kept stitching.

Soon, the yarned river reached 80 metres in length (it is about 20-40 centimetres wide), and we started taking it to other community events around the region.

We could string the river up around a big hall, and still have woolly length to spare.

A highlight was sitting companionably with Wiradyuri women stitching possum skin cloaks while we wielded our hooks and needles at two Heritage Trade Trail events.

Everywhere it went, the River drew interest and conversation. It was a highly political object, born out of a political campaign, and yet it was able to reach out across the usual boundaries of politics and personal identity.

Two things have happened in recent weeks: the coronavirus and also the winding-up of the Rahamim Ecological Learning Centre in Busby Street.

What does the future hold for our little group?

Fortunately, yarning is something that can be done just about anywhere, any time, at any skill level from absolute beginner to more advanced.

We can keep going from home, and we'd be delighted to have others join us (20-40 centimetres wide by however long you like; search for River Yarners on Facebook).

Then when we emerge from this crisis, we can stitch the lengths together and renew our celebration of the water that gives us life.

And a little bird tells us we may be able to return to the same room in Busby Street once the building opens again under new management.