knitting

I need to get this blogging done quickly since I am off to my favourite café to meet some women for knitting. This is one of two knitting circles I belong to – this one is once a month and was organized by a woman in my neighbourhood. The other is every two weeks, hosted by me here at home.

When I first sent out an email in August inviting women to a knitting circle, I wasn’t too sure what kind of response I would get. I invited those whom I knew knitted or enjoyed crafts, and whom I would enjoy spending an evening with.

I was pleasantly surprised when about 10 women expressed interest and our group began meeting in September. Our house is actually much too small for 10 women to comfortably sit together in the living room with elbow room to knit, but since everyone has busy lives (and most, like me, are mothers of young children) very few can make it to every circle. So each circle has been a different combination of women.

Some knitters arrive with a bottle of wine or a box of goodies; I usually put on a kettle for tea. And I’m proud to report that some women who accepted my invitation though admitting they could not knit, have now learned or are learning. Certainly knitting is not obligatory and sometimes women have come just to hang out and chat.

I’d heard about knit graffiti (also known as urban knitting) and in October I convinced a few other knitters from the group to join me a knit graffiti project of our own: we made up about 30 little knitted ‘Christmas lights’ and one of the knitters crocheted a chain to link them all together. Then two of us went out late one cold, snowy night for a stealth installation of our handiwork (strung with the aid of a broom and a step stool).

The lights hang outside my favourite café, the one I went to almost daily to work on my thesis, the one I will be going to tonight to knit some more – boring ol’ dish clothes tonight. Every time I walk by them I smile.