There aren't many places where you can knit with your feet in Canada and the rest of your body in the United States. But Hannah Miller found a craft table in the Haskell Free Library & Opera House where she could do just that. Located in Derby Line, Vt., and Stanstead, Québec, it is a rare library that straddles two nations — and has a theater. The international border runs through the building and is marked by a thick black line taped on the floor.

Miller is an associate professor of education at Vermont State University-Johnson who is spending her sabbatical on a quest to write, read and knit in as many public libraries in Vermont as possible. She shares her adventures on social media and highlights the unique quirks of each space. Vermonters love their libraries: Per capita, we have more than any other state, at 187.

For her latest episode of "Stuck in Vermont," Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger met up with Miller and her wife, Lisa Zinn, at the Haskell Free Library on a sunny but frigid Saturday. All three wore colorful hand-knit sweaters, and Sollberger brought her knitting, as well. Miller documented the visit on her Instagram page; this was the 22nd Vermont public library she'd visited, and her first time crossing the border without a passport.

Sollberger spoke with Seven Days about filming the episode.

What drew you to this story?

I love libraries, knitting and reading — these are literally three of my favorite things — so I jumped at the chance to go library hopping with Miller.

She joked that every library she visits is the best library ever! And if you love libraries, you totally get that excitement. Her posts on social media are like love letters to libraries. I found a kindred spirit in Miller. We both have mothers who are flute teachers, and we get jazzed about books and knitting. Miller is a former elementary school teacher, and she exudes a positive energy. Zinn teased that Miller is prone to exaggeration, too. Um, guilty. I also feel like every video I make is the best story ever!

The Haskell is such a unique building.

The Haskell Free Library & Opera House was intentionally built on the border in the early 1900s to serve people in both the U.S. and Canada. It seemed like the perfect pick for this video.

There is something incredibly exciting and nerve-racking about borders. It felt slightly nefarious to cross the border over and over again inside the library without my passport. It demystifies the border when you can easily hop across it. I got a thrill conducting an interview from Canada with Miller, who was straddling the border. Natalie Mercier, one of the library staff, joked that you start speaking English the moment you cross the American border, and when you return to Canada, you speak French.

There is something magical about this building that spans two countries. That's why, in the video, I added a magic wand sound effect whenever people crossed the line.

Who goes to this library?

It was a busy Saturday, and there was a steady stream of tourists and people looking for books in both languages. The Canadian library staff were incredibly helpful, and it was a pleasure to meet everyone. The children's librarian and acting library director, Evelyne Crevier, leads a story hour for children every Saturday morning in both French and English.

She also gave us an impromptu tour of the majestic Opera House. Its stage is in Canada, and its seats are split between the two countries. Crevier showed us one seat that is split in half by the border, so that you have a butt cheek in each country. Last October, the Opera House started showing films; in the summer, it has live performances.

It is a very special spot, and you can tell it is important to the community. I was excited to see a rack of Seven Days newspapers there, as well!

What should people know before they visit?

If you are entering from the States, there is limited parking at the library, so we parked on Main Street. You can see the American and Canadian border crossings from there. There was a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle parked beside us during our visit.

The entrance to the library is in the U.S., so Americans can enter freely. Canadians cross the border in front of the library, stay on the sidewalk and enter via the front door. They are allowed to return to Canada via the same route and cannot walk anywhere else in town. Americans are not allowed to cross over the sidewalk into Canada. The signs in the library are bilingual and quite clear about where you can and can't go. It is advised that you bring your passport or papers just in case, but we didn't need them.

After 9/11, the once-porous border between the two towns became more defined. There was a gun smuggling incident in the library in 2011, and people have been arrested for trying to slip through the border there. And the building shut down for months during the pandemic, when the border was largely closed.

This episode was sort of meta, documenting the documenter.

It was a treat for me to film Miller as she photographed her adventures. She took a selfie with "Benny," the gigantic moose head at the library, and picked out a children's book to read. We chatted while knitting, and Zinn took photos for Miller. A week later, I enjoyed reading Miller's post about her international adventures at the Haskell. Again, it was the best day of her life, and I totally agreed.