Thursday, April 15, 2010

Knitting Guilds

Tuesday night, I drove down the 401 to attend the K-W Knitter's Guild. Three hours of driving is more than I'm willing to take on on a regular basis, but I really wanted to sign up for a lace class with Amy Singer and learn about having a booth at the Knitter's Fair. There was a great group of ladies and men and lots of activity to inspire, so, yes, the drive was worth it.

Way back in 1986, we were living in Kitchener and I remember reading in the K-W Record about a knitting guild being started by Sally Melville. My second child had just been born and finding time, energy and confidence to go out just didn't happen. Little did I know that it would take me 24 years to get there. And, believe it or not, that was my first ever knitting guild meeting!

We've moved around a lot. I've been a member of 3 quilt guilds and 3 spinning and weaving guilds, but I've never belonged to a real knitting guild (other than TKGA and the Canadian Guild of Knitters - both long distance guilds). There have been sit-and-knit groups galore, but when it comes to programs, newsletters, teachers, education, sharing, an executive, a library, charity programs, etc. all rolled into one, they are few and far between.

Why?

Maybe it's because knitting is such a comfortable, in-front-of-the-fireplace type of activity that most of us are "closet knitters". Non-knitters are always so shocked when they realize that knitting is a very popular pastime, second only to gardening, and shared by men and women of all ages.

Getting together to share, discuss, be inspired, has been an important part of society ...forever. Books, radio, television, and now, the internet keep us entertained and feeling like we don't need the company of others quite so much.

But is that really true?

1 comment:

  1. I'll answer that...

    IMHO, a soul can feel sort of set adrift without the company of other like-minded individuals...since starting my sojourn into The World of Knitting (and all things fibre-related) a mere three months ago, I have been feeling more grounded, more sure of myself...I've got books aplenty, music galore, have had television for two years now, and the internet for four...but knitting, and the company I've begun to keep at "The Mitten" (as I have lovingly dubbed it in my mind), has given to me something those other things never could...a sense of peace, harmony and belonging akin to nothing I have experienced before...

    So, a hearty and heartfelt "Thank you!" to all my new friends at the LRM, and I can only hope my answer wasn't too long-winded...

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