The Speaker tonight at the DKC is Amy Singer. The Amy Singer who started that little site called "Knitty" - 124 million visits - 10 years ago...that Amy!
Friday evening at Purple Purl I'll be seeing Amy again. This time for a Knitty Roundtable Yarn Tasting with 30 other knitters/crocheters who will test various yarns while hoping to win prizes and generally soaking up yarn fumes in one of Toronto's great Queen St.Yarn Shops.
(Phew I'm already a bit light headed just putting the word "yarn" 4 times into that last sentence!)
Being able to partake of all this Knitterly fun is one of the great things about being a knitter here in T.O.
I'm excited at the prospects for these evenings but also a bit reserved...
With regards to the DKC...I hope the Announcements, Celebrating Our Own, Show and Tell, Raffle Draw, more Announcements followed by a couple of Announcements blah blah blah...are kept to a duration that allows time to actually hear Amy speak for more than half an hour. (I am not exaggerating here!) The Guild is in transition to becoming more relevant, inclusive, welcoming etc. hence the inward focus. Still, put the brakes on, cut power to the microphone if necessary and, I hope, get on with the Show! I want to hear Amy!
At the Yarn Tasting Friday everyone rotates every 20 minutes around 5 or so different tables where the test yarn is set up. While we all know Knitters are generally big hearted people. Maybe its the yarn fumes but these events seem to bring out the 9 year old bully in even the loveliest of knitters. I hope the Elementary School Cafeteria-esque need of the test knitters to sit beside their friends/save a seat/get that chair-type jockeying for position (bodychecking) as 30 people shift around a shop crowded with tables, chairs and knitters is a bit less intense than I've experienced at these events in the past. Is there something terribly wrong with meeting someone new? Especially another knitter???
Ahhh...it feels better to have all that off my chest!
Now to figure out what knitting to take along tonight...
Thanks for dropping by!
Friday evening at Purple Purl I'll be seeing Amy again. This time for a Knitty Roundtable Yarn Tasting with 30 other knitters/crocheters who will test various yarns while hoping to win prizes and generally soaking up yarn fumes in one of Toronto's great Queen St.Yarn Shops.
(Phew I'm already a bit light headed just putting the word "yarn" 4 times into that last sentence!)
Being able to partake of all this Knitterly fun is one of the great things about being a knitter here in T.O.
I'm excited at the prospects for these evenings but also a bit reserved...
With regards to the DKC...I hope the Announcements, Celebrating Our Own, Show and Tell, Raffle Draw, more Announcements followed by a couple of Announcements blah blah blah...are kept to a duration that allows time to actually hear Amy speak for more than half an hour. (I am not exaggerating here!) The Guild is in transition to becoming more relevant, inclusive, welcoming etc. hence the inward focus. Still, put the brakes on, cut power to the microphone if necessary and, I hope, get on with the Show! I want to hear Amy!
At the Yarn Tasting Friday everyone rotates every 20 minutes around 5 or so different tables where the test yarn is set up. While we all know Knitters are generally big hearted people. Maybe its the yarn fumes but these events seem to bring out the 9 year old bully in even the loveliest of knitters. I hope the Elementary School Cafeteria-esque need of the test knitters to sit beside their friends/save a seat/get that chair-type jockeying for position (bodychecking) as 30 people shift around a shop crowded with tables, chairs and knitters is a bit less intense than I've experienced at these events in the past. Is there something terribly wrong with meeting someone new? Especially another knitter???
Ahhh...it feels better to have all that off my chest!
Now to figure out what knitting to take along tonight...
Thanks for dropping by!
I agree with everything you said. Our Guild is in transition as well - some for the good, some, maybe not so good. WHen we have guest speakers, I totally agree with limiting the business end of the meeting - more time for the speaker. But on nights wehre nothign is scheduled, there is still alimit on show and tell - why? that's what I want to see - what knitters are making and doing.
ReplyDeleteAnd the schoolyard attitude at the yarn tastings is just wrong - meeting new knitters is part of the fun!
Yes yes and yes. I hate that school yard attitude as well. Years ago I was teaching a sock knitting class. Night #1 two ladies - friends - arrived late. They were forced to sit at oppsite sides of the room. The one lady sulked through the entire lesson.
ReplyDeleteAt subsequent lessons, they came early, sat together and carried on their own private conversatio.Rude and a wasted opportunity.
I admire Amy Singer tremendously, and all the other local, talented people in the knitting world.
ReplyDeleteThe DKC got too big- I'm glad some changes are being made.