I'm out of the closet now!

I belong to several different guilds, it's a wonderful way to connect with other knitters, spinners, weavers and fiber artists. Not to talk about the chit chat and wisdom and friendships developed. Part of "coming out of the closet" no I'm not gay, but for most of my knitting life I bought my yarn went home and knit whatever I was working on.

I had no idea that there was this huge knitting community out there. About ten years ago (I think) I walked into a new yarn store in the area and suddenly discovered there was a huge knitting community right in my neighborhood.

Then I attended my first Stitches and could not believe what I saw! Hundreds of knitters running around crazed! The market place! People wearing magnificent hand knit garments! Wow! Who knew.

When one of the ladies I met asked me where I usually knit? I was kind of confused I thought she meant what part of the house? But she meant what yarn store, which guild I belonged to or what Stitch 'n Bitch. It was like a foreign language to me. I told her that I usually knit in my den.

She blurted out "Oh you are a closet knitter!" Well I'm out of the closet now!

At Stitches West they have a dinner with a Student's fashion show. At my friend Kathy Silverton's suggestion I entered my vest I made from Patons Classic Wool. It is a freeform piece that I crochet and when I got tired of crocheting I knit.










There was so many absolutely beautiful projects that quite frankly I thought they would laugh at me for this pieced together made up project made from ordinary yarn that I bought a JoAnn's. No fancy hand dyed beautiful stuff but ordinary low cost Patons wool.

I have not been back since but this year I'm going! And maybe I'll enter another piece I've knitted, but competition is fierce! Some of the work I've seen around is really magnificent.

Location:El Segundo, California