Just got in from Toronto and thought that I'd dash off a few words before getting ready to go into the store. Stephanie P.-McP. was delightful as always.
She asked for shows of hands around several topics...to prove that the stereotypes under which we, as knitters in the 21st century, must live are ridiculous. When she asked how many people had ever bought yarn on-line, I think that everyone's hand but mine went up. When asked how many people read knitting blogs, again virtually unanimous consensus. How many people wrote knitting blogs?....a good show as well, consequently I'm sure that there are many others out there doing the same thing this morning as I am, reporting back to the knitting community about how interesting we are. This particular survey was to dispel the myth that knitters only know how to play with sticks and aren't very technologically savvy.
She introduced us the organization that has as its mandate to spread these myths about knitters: C.H.O.K.E. Cultural Humiliation Of Knitters Everywhere. This is the segment of society that insults grandmothers everywhere by saying that this is "not your granny's knitting anymore." It's also the group that think that it's cute, or trendy, or old-fashioned, or boring, or embarrassing, or mindless, or (add your own negative and/or condescending descriptor)to knit. Kind of makes one feel empowered to be part of a rising rebellion of the downtrodden.
I did get pictures but until I figure out how to get them onto the screen and into the blog, you'll just have to hang on and imagine about 350 stuffed into a space (and spilling over the banisters above a space) that was destined for the anticipated 100 people.
