Sunday, January 3, 2010

Wishing for a knitting group

The last few days, I've been thinking I really need to pull together a knitting group, if only to keep from having to stop people in the street to ask how their current work in progress is going. Yeah, it's a small neighbourhood, so I'm only stopping people I know and who do have a work in progress, but still. It's cold outside!


And there's no local yarn store to organize such a group.

In the summer I ran into a friend who knits and she said there used to be a collection of knitters that rotated around its members' houses, but it disbanded after it got too fussy to do any knitting - snacks and wine, to the point where you weren't so tempted to pick up your work, if only to keep your yarn clean.

It's a testament to how much I wanted a knitting group even then that instead of hearing SNACKS! I heard PEOPLE!

I keep wondering whether I could pull together the half-dozen or so knitters I know in the neighbourhood and persuade them to knit without cookies? Or just with cookies and tea, maybe. If I offered my place, I'd even be motivated to clean the house (the need for which is what usually drives me to invite people over.)

Sadly, I have exactly one chair with good lighting at my house. Do you think people would knit at my dining table? They do that in yarn shops, don't they? It's the only solution I can think of, bar installing more wall fixtures - all the local coffee shops are crowded all the time.

Or maybe I should start a coffee shop of my own to take the overflow?

Nah, that would be a procrastination of epic proportions, and way more distracting than sticky snacks.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi there, I just started reading your blog. Found through a blog of a blog of a friend, ha. Anyway, I completely understand that need!!! Even though I live in the city with multiple knitting groups, I wasn't able to join any. I am unable to drive or use city transportation due to medical reasons. I was just about one "please, please, PLEASE!!!" away from begging for a ride. Gratefully, a few people from the group I am in now has offered to give me a ride. Print up some ads or put one up on craigslist or something, I am sure people will want to get a group together! Cheers!

Mary Keenan said...

Oh, that is so lucky to get a lift to an established group! I'm going to suggest the coffeeshop idea to a few people this week and see what happens :^)

Kathleen Taylor said...

I hope you can get a group together. I love my knitting group. I have to drive 100 miles round trip to get to it, but it's worth it. We started out as people with yarn and needles in common, and are now friends. I never miss a meeting if I can help it.

Mary Keenan said...

Ha! one of my neighbours read this post and e-mailed me to say she's in, heh heh heh.

Anonymous said...

Kathleen drives 100 miles? Maybe my first thought, that I'd like to come 3000 miles to join your knitting group isn't so far-fetched after all. No cookies required.

Mary Keenan said...

If you come 3000 miles for my wished-for knitting group you get cookies *and* the spare bed ;^)
(that goes for you too, Kathi!)

Unknown said...

I'd love to be in your knitting group, but I'm in Chester, VA, USA, so it might not be logistically feasible! Maybe you could do an internet knitting group? Love your blogs. Sometimes, my kids ask me why I'm laughing and I just can't explain it!

Mary Keenan said...

If I make you laugh, Angela, you TOTALLY have to be in my knitting group ;^) Maybe we should do a little list on Ravelry by way of a virtual tea and cookie knitnight!

Unknown said...

Sounds great to me!