What happens at knitting...

Those of you who know me know that Thursday is my favorite day of the week.  If this is your first visit to the blog, you might wonder why.  There really is no mystery to it - Thursday is the day that my local knitting friends get together for an evening of knitting, and dinner together, and (best of all) lots and lots of laughter!  

For those of you who do not knit (there are some friends and family members who read my blog, even outside my knitting group), you may have some preconceived notions about what goes on amongst the knitters.  Especially after reading the "Heard at Knitting:" status updates, I know that you are all wondering what happens at knitting.  I really wish I could tell you, but knitting is a little like Vegas. . .and we all know that "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!"  Still, to protect myself from being considered a dowdy grandmother in a rocker, just sipping tea with the other dowdy knitters in their rockers...well, I'm going to invite you in for some of the fun!

First, what doesn't happen at knitting?  You will not find blue-haired bitties in my knitting group, focused on our own ailments (and remedies), with the occasional mention of the "good ol' days."  You will not find the prim and proper ladies pictured in Rockwell prints, sipping tea and trading recipes as life goes by.  You will not find knitters bargain hunting for the cheapest yarn and needles to make scratchy blankets and sweaters their families may wear and use only out of a sense of duty.  

What you WILL find on Thursdays, in the church library, from 6-10pm, is more of a pajama party atmosphere.  Real women, having fun. . .comparing their latest works in progress (a light-as-air, lacy, mohair wrap to chase the chill of summer air conditioning; a winter head wrap, knit of super bulky wool, as a commissioned piece for a co-worker, and knit without a formal pattern; a new knitter, practicing knits and purls with acrylic yarn, and her mother who is working a thick and squishy baby blanket for her daughter's first son; a sweater with a bit of lace, knit in a cotton/wool blend, with a little re-write to the pattern; a red, wool, cabled-and-hooded cardigan; and many, many more).  You'll find all kinds of yarn, from the very affordable to the all-natural and luxurious animal fibers, some costing a pretty penny per pound!  You'll find new knitters, as well as "seasoned" experts, and you may even find someone crocheting in the group.  We have singles, marrieds, moms, grandmothers, daughters, and the laughter...oh, the laughter!  

"What's so funny," you ask?  Well, the last things I posted to the Heard-at-Knitting status were "You came in late and missed the boob story," and (totally unrelated, I promise) "I like your tassel."  So yes, we talk (and laugh) about boobs and other body parts.  There are double entendres that I will not repeat in my mostly family-friendly blog, many of them quite unintentional (like the tassel comment above), and some that are uber-intentional!  We talk about, and eat, the yummiest treats, and we share a bit of ourselves with each other each week!  We also "share" about our families and the other non-knitters in our lives, and when somebody suddenly raises a hand, declaring, "Wait a sec, 23...24...25...I have to get to 30!," the conversation pauses briefly, and then continues (as though uninterrupted) as soon as "30!" arrives.

This week was really a barrel of monkeys, as one of the gals brought in some toys she thought our 5th-grade teacher friend would like to have for her class...I think she called them Squishies, and there were hundreds of them!

These are just the few that I took home...

There were cows, and dolphins, and lobsters, oh my!  But for some reason, we were really taken with the clams...perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they look a little like sheep from the front...

Or maybe it's because they seemed so into the conversation, even attempting to join in from time to time...

Maybe it's just that they were so CUTE!  

Climbing around, all over the table...

...and then getting all shy, trying to hide!

Of course, they were not really that stealthy, "hiding" on top of my swatch...

...and eventually they just took off running!

Which made us all sing a song together, dissolving into laughter!

C'mon, watch it!  It's only 21 seconds, and it'll make you smile!

What a silly, fun bunch of knitters we are!  I am so glad to be a part of this group, and I'm happy to share some of my joy with you!  If you don't have a local group of people to knit and enjoy life with, I hope that you will find one...and if you live near me in Northeast Ohio (I'm PKJewelry on Ravelry), I hope that you will check out the CKW Group there and come out to "play" with us some Thursday!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!