Lured by wine and cheese, I went to my very first ever knitting meet up Tuesday. Literally the first time I have sat and knit in a room full of other knitters.
This is huge for me.
I’m not a meet up kind of person. In fact, I have often been struck by the irony of having chosen a career in which I must verbally and/or physically interact with 20+ people a day. Left to my own devices, I would probably be in real danger of becoming a shut in. Ordering both my food and various necessities online. But that’s for another day.
So I went (dragging my loquacious non-knitting daughter with me), and it was fun.
I worked on Lenore by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. (STR Club pattern. The only link I could find was in Ravelry).
What a great pattern! * And the colors are to dye for (gawd, I crack myself up)!
Turns out, I’m fairly challenged by knitting and talking at the same time. I would find myself knitting faster and faster as the conversation swirled around me, and before I knew it I was searching for missing yarn overs and puzzling over stitches that did not belong. If my fellow knitters noticed that I spent more time tinking than knitting, they were too kind to comment.
Then again, it could have been the wine.
*But I do have a confession. After two years of membership in the STR club, this is only the second time I found both the yarn and the pattern appealing enough to cast on immediately. The remainder of the club yarn remains in skeins and only one of the patterns knit (in an alternate color). So if you are in lust of an elusive club membership, scoot on over and you might just get lucky!
Comments (12)
I'll admit it too - I rarely knit with other people. At the beginning it was mostly a function of living places that didn't have other knitting groups but now it's mostly because I am a total introvert and much happier left to my own devices. Did you find the group was weird? Being online so much you know about all sorts of yarn and patterns and techniques and the latest gadgets, I've found that doesn't translate well to offline groups and half the people look at you like you're crazy and the other half like you're a big know it all.
PS - Your sock is very pretty!
Posted by keri | November 25, 2007 2:56 PM
Posted on November 25, 2007 14:56
Your sock looks great! I'm glad you had fun. I've never been to a group knitting thing.
I find it hard to knit and talk, too. I suppose stockinette would be easy enough, but that would get boring.
Posted by Beth | November 25, 2007 3:27 PM
Posted on November 25, 2007 15:27
Lovely Lenore socks! I saw them on Ravelry and scooted on over here to comment.
I haven't renewed my STR membership either for 2 reasons. So far 5 socks down and 0 completed here, although Lenore is calling to me and I will probably use the Firebird colourway for a different pattern. Secondly, I really can't afford it and I have been a very passive recipient, therefore the cost isn't justified in my book.
Posted by Mandella | November 25, 2007 4:48 PM
Posted on November 25, 2007 16:48
I find plain stockinette in the round works best for knitting meet ups! As for sock clubs, I have never ever actually knit one of the patterns!
Posted by Carole | November 25, 2007 4:52 PM
Posted on November 25, 2007 16:52
your sock looks great :-) and as far as knitting in public, with conversation AND wine (???) I'd go for basic stockinette or even the garter stitch kind of scarf :-) Usually if I am in a crowd like that, I will take my wheel and spin on something where I don't mind if it is thick/.thin (I get totally nervous in crowds)
Posted by Teyani | November 25, 2007 11:16 PM
Posted on November 25, 2007 23:16
OH! Wine & Yarn together, alas! I have enough trouble with yarn & coffee & multiple knitters! Once our knitting group got kicked out of a coffee shop (they had a band setting up for a performance and I think they thought we were UnCool) so we went to the bar next door.
I had a great time with a couple of Old Styles but the knitting was juming all over the place just like a frog headed for a pond...
Posted by Bonne Marie | November 26, 2007 6:19 AM
Posted on November 26, 2007 06:19
I always save my "boringest" patterns for meetups, plain stockinette if at all possible!
This was the first yarn/pattern combo that I really liked, too! I'm trying to go on a yarn diet in general, so I won't be doing the RSC next year either.
Posted by Kristy | November 26, 2007 10:28 AM
Posted on November 26, 2007 10:28
i'm not much of a meet up person either. i'd rather meet one or two friends for knitting than a big group anyday.
i'm also right there with you on the str club thing. i don't think i've knit a pattern yet and this is probably the second colorway that has done anything for me so i won't be back next year.
Posted by amanda | November 26, 2007 6:40 PM
Posted on November 26, 2007 18:40
Oh my gosh...isn't that the best yarn and pattern combo? Made me wish I had joined the club just for that installment!
Posted by Lynne | November 27, 2007 5:40 PM
Posted on November 27, 2007 17:40
The same thing happens to me at knitting meet-ups. I have to bring the simplest of projects with me unless I want to spend the next day un-knitting all my progress. I'm glad you had a nice time. I have met some of the nicest people at knitting meet-ups.
Posted by Karen | November 30, 2007 7:46 AM
Posted on November 30, 2007 07:46
Love the sock! And I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one that hasn't knit many of the patterns. I did use one for your socks though :)! Although, it was an alternate pattern.
I meet up twice a week at lunch with a few friends at work and find that things work best if I bring something I don't have to concentrate on too much. Even though alcohol isn't involved (when we meet outside of work, it is :)), the conversation proves to be too distracting.
Posted by Lisa | December 4, 2007 12:12 PM
Posted on December 4, 2007 12:12
Leah, I'm the same way. I work with yarn all day, but rarely knit with others. I don't know why, that's just how I am! I keep meaning to be a knitting-club-regular, but it just doesn't happen.
Posted by Allison | December 4, 2007 2:05 PM
Posted on December 4, 2007 14:05