Are You Comfortable?

At our last meeting, we were pleased to welcome an out-of-town visitor, who even brought along her beautiful baby (almost seven months old, and not knitting yet) for us to "ooh and aah" over. I guess she felt comfortable enough, because she later mentioned us in her own blog (whatknit.blogspot.com), and indicated she might come back sometime.
There's probably someone out there reading this, who is thinking about coming to one of our meetings, but feels a little unsure. Here are some tips for first-timers, from Monica Silva, a knitter from California.

1. Talk with other knitters; don't stay quiet. Don't just show up and knit your projects! You can do that at home, right? You'll be surprised how much the other members in the group want to get to know you. Be prepared to answer questions like "How long have you been knitting?" and "Where do you buy your yarn?".

2. Ask them what they think of LYS (local yarn shops). If you're a new knitter, get a list of LYSs near you. Bring your list, and ask them what they think of a certain LYS. Members of the group will be happy to share their shopping experiences with you.

3. Help a new knitter with a project. People go to a knitting group to knit, but also to learn from experienced knitters. Even if you don't feel you're very skilled, you might be able to help someone fix holes or extra stitches on a needle.

4. Bring simple projects to work on. You're at the meeting to meet knitters, share tips, and knit. If you bring long, complicated patterns that require you to count stitches every row, and focus too much, you won't be able to join in the conversation.

5. Bring your list of written knitting patterns. You might get an idea for a new project while you're at the meeting. Sometimes you might not be sure of a basic pattern like a chevron, feather and fan, or horseshoe, and you'll be glad you have the directions in your bag.

6. Bring some of your WIPs (works in progress). Every knitter struggles to finish a project because there are always new exciting ones to start. Encourage other members of the group to finish their projects, and let them encourage you to complete yours.