Having a Bridget moment.
Bridget Jones and I must have been separated at birth. I mean, trying to hide fifteen pounds of spinning wheel and fibre from a room full of onlookers? Completely mortifying. Man, why didn’t anyone ever mention that spinners don’t actually spin at a spinning guild meeting?
So last night I attended my first guild meeting. Not knowing what to expect, I brought along my spinning wheel and fibre. I walked into the meeting and realized that no one else brought anything except their knitting… Really, the meeting was just like a business meeting… set up like an annual general meeting for small companies… How embarrassing. I talked to the membership chair and she explained how their meetings work — business at the beginning and programmes afterwards. I found a seat near the back and actually put my jacket over the wheel so that hopefully not everyone in the guild would think I was a complete knob. I was kind of outed when the girl behind me recommended that I move my wheel to the back of the room. Ok. No problem. I can deal. My spinning teacher, Irene, was also there and introduced me to a couple people — all good. Everyone was very friendly to me, the complete knob.
After the business portion, the programme of the evening was “Try Something New” and allowed members to try their hand at a variety of different crafts. There was needlefelting (led by Irene), basketry, Chinese knotting, silk ribbon weaving and bobbin lace. I went for the bobbin lace… so much fun! See what I made:
That’s some “cloth stitch” on the right, “whole stitch” in the middle and “half stitch” on the left. The girl who taught us has been doing this for 12 years!
I came to the meeting not knowing what to expect and I left with a lace bookmark and a membership card. Yep. I survived and now I’m a card carrying member of the Greater Vancouver Weavers and Spinners Guild. Maiwa discounts, here I come.
omg….that’s so embarrassing. hahaa. not horrible though. it’s your first time there. everyone should understand! heck..i would have thought the same thing. spinning meeting should involve spinning!
oh, that sounds like fun. what a variety of programs to choose from, cool.
it’s funny about the spinning wheels - you know, at my spinning guild, here in los angeles, everyone brings their wheels. also, most of the people (yes, women and men!) have their fiber in these really cute handwoven baskets. so nice!
You may have felt like a knob (and I would have too) but at some guilds they do spin (or knit or crochet or weave) during the buisness part of the meeting. Makes sense to me!
No spinning at the spinning meeting? Weird! I went to my first guild meeting this month, and you were out of place if you didn’t have a wheel or spindle with you. I guess everywhere is different. I love the bobbin lace! That makes a really cool bookmark.
quite cool! good for you for going, I’m sure you’ll love having guild meetings to go to (wish I had a guild near me!) the bobbin lace is awesome, now i want to try it out!
grins it could have been worse - they could have all been in their underwear. I think I’ve had that dream. Sounds like the crafts afterwards were fun though.
Sounds like you held your head up high. And it seems very reasonable to me to think that one might spin at a meeting of Spinners. Ah well. The bobbin lace looks goregous - what do they use it for? Clothes? Tablecloths/napkins?
OMG that is so something that I would do, except you stayed, I’m chicken, I would have probably ran out of there as soon as I could. Your bobbin lace book mark is super cute! That looks like it would be fun to do!
Phew, that sounds painfully like a BJ moment. But good on you for pulling through! It sounds like a good guild.
You and I should go places together. I’m always the overly enthusiastic dolt in the back who didn’t get the memo. Loving your bookmark.
Och, I got a twinge in the pit of my stomach for you when I read this…I don’t get embarassed easily at all, but when I do, it’s bad! My face gets hot and I get shaky. But it turned out okay and you learned something new. I’m glad it ended up being fun.
I don’t think all spinning guilds are like that. I have been toying with joining the one here in CT and I asked someone I know who is a member and she said almost everyone brings their wheel. I think it was a perfectly just assumption on your part.
Well, who knew. I assumed a spinning guild would be somewhat like a stitchnbitch where everyone brings their projects and compares notes. I’m glad you had some fun with the bobbin lace. Looks nice!
Bobbin lacemaking. That’s something that I never made it through. Got a book and kit a few years back for Christmas and never got going. Like most things, I was probably choosing the hardest pattern first!
Hi Felicia,
I’m sure we’ve all been in that type of a situation one time or another. At least you have the guts to talk about it! Your new yarns are really pretty - keep up the good work!
It’s an odd thing, this spinning at spinning meetings. Members of our guild (the Langley Weavers and Spinners) used to bring their wheels to meetings. Each meeting there would easily be three or four women with their wheels and another two or three with drop spindles. For an entire year our regular meeting place was not available and we had to meet in a much smaller location, so women got into the habit of just bringing their knitting along. I’d like to get back to bringing spinning cause that’s a great chance for the newer members to see work in action. So, good for you for bringing your wheel, I will make sure that I bring mine to our next meeting as well.
Who would blame you? Anyone could have expected to spin at a spinning guild meeting. Anyway, congratulations on your membership, and enjoy the discounts.
You are not a complete knob. I went to my first spinning guild meeting a few weeks ago with my wheel in the back of my car prepared just in case everyone was spinning. And there was no one spinning. I also took my knitting, just in case. It ended up being a lecture about weaving in Guatemala, and no one was spinning, they were all knitting. They have small study groups when people actually get together and spin. I figured there would be more actual spinning taking place, too.
Irene was my spinning teacher too! She’s a great enabler, isn’t she? I’ve been part of the Coquitlam guild for about a year now and noticed that no one spins at the meetings. A few of us bring our knitting but most people just sit there. I asked about that and was told that it’s WEAVERS and Spinners guild. Most of the people are weavers first then spinners. I heard it’s the same for the Vancouver guild.
Well, they SHOULD spin at the meetings. You’d think at least one person would, and that would start a trend. (Maybe YOU should.) I know in our knitting guild you couldn’t stop them from doing whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. I’m surprised no one has started spinning during our knitting guild meeting.
You guys are the 34668 best, thanks so much for the help.