Why Knit In?

What do you get out of your knit group? Why go?

Really, who among is isn't perfectly content knitting alone? I could happily knit about eight hours a day in complete solitude except for maybe a well-behaved cat and some good movies or a book.

When the whole Stitch N'Bitch knitting revival thing developed, I began hearing about knit ins. I'd actually been out of knitting for a bit, recovering from a bad case of knitter's elbow, probably from knitting about eight hours a day in complete solitude.

I trekked down to the local knit in, project in hand, and feeling like a complete goob. Maybe it was because they were an established group, maybe it was my social anxiety, but the whole thing felt really cliquish. I felt too much like the new girl in first grade saying, "Hi, can I play with you?" Actually, I couldn't even manage that. I was more like the girl standing on the edge of the playground waiting for someone, anyone to say hello. I went back one more time, then gave up.

I decided knit groups weren't for me. I may have grumbled something about "Kumbaya knitting," so my friends say.

Suddenly, I find myself attending two weekly knit ins, in addition to the monthly guild meeting.

I don't exactly know how it happened. I think I decided it would build character for me to push myself out there and knit-with-others. I know that I came home with some great stories to share with LB.

And it has been good for me, but I still have to watch myself. As someone who began knitting in the pre-SNB era, garter stitch scarves do not blow my mind. As a teacher, I have to bite my tongue not to give unasked-for advice. I've gotten over the first hurdle and am on the playground, but playing nice with others, that builds character too, I guess.

So, I'm off to Knit Night tonight and to hell with the character building. Sometimes there's pizza and scandal.

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The blue thing in the photos is another sock from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks. Begun and knitted in solitude. Its mate will begin at a knit in. In the end, no one, not even I, will be able to tell them apart.