Plus, I Get To Show Off!

Let me tell you a little something about knitters.

Knitters are generally a very accepting group of people who love to make friends (especially yarny friends). All they have to have in common is sticks and string, and it doesn't matter whether they've known each other for days or for years: they quickly become the best of friends.

When we started our yarn group this past June, I was a little worried that I wouldn't fit in, or that I'd be DOING IT WRONG and they would be mean about it, or that they wouldn't like me, or whatever. Insert neurosis here.

But from the very first meeting, we all just clicked! We all fit together like a perfect, yarny puzzle, and we've all been having so much fun ever since.

We meet every Thursday, but it isn't just meetings anymore; we've gone to dinners and the fiber fair and this coming weekend, the state fair.

Even if I'm not in the mood to go anywhere (which happens more often than I'd like...) I still walk over to the coffee shop Thursday evening and by the end of the night, my mood is just freaking right.

They know I'm Bipolar, and they don't care. They know I hold the knitting needles "wrong", and they don't care. They know I'm incredibly lazy, and they don't care. They accept me for who I am, and they did it instantly, and you guys, you have no idea how wonderful that is for me. I have a really hard time making and keeping friends (by-product of moving around so much when I was younger, I suppose), but here I feel like one of the group, and it's one of the greatest feelings ever.

I went to the Great Basin Fiber Arts Fair with a member of our group a few weekends ago. I pet a llama! She has since informed me that she spun a bit of pretty yarn just for me! I think we all love to make and give presents, because I've spent a lot of time these past few weeks making pretty sets of stitch markers for my group (pictures to come), and I'm so excited to give them out!

I have to admit that I've been a little lonely for the past few years. I went from being fairly popular in school, surrounded by friends, coworkers, classmates, and fellow church-goers to just...me. I try to keep in touch with old school and church friends via Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and e-mail, but it isn't the same as being able to call someone up and say "Hey! Let's walk to Panda and get cheap Chinese food!" any time I want (my Panda friends now live in Texas and Massachusetts. I don't think they even have Panda where they live...). I have Kwiddens and Mim and Em and Jorg, and we spend a lot of time together, but sometimes I was still lonely.

I don't feel lonely any more. Don't get me wrong; I'd love to be able to see and hang out with my college friends again, but this knitting group is doing wonders for me.

We come from all walks of life. Some of us aren't married yet, some of us are married with no kids, some of us have kids, and some of us have kids who are grown and gone. Some of us are students, and some of us work from home, and some of us go to work every day. We're tall and short, thin and not-so-thin, knitters and crocheters, brand new and very experienced with all things fiber. But for two hours every Thursday night, we're all the same, and I LOVE it!