The Men's Knitting Retreat is an umbrella organization dedicated to the promotion fiber crafts within the male community. Ted Myatt (KnitterGuy) and Joe Wilcox (QueerJoe) created the first event this past Spring at Easton Mountains, NY and it was a resounding success. The Men's Spring Knitting Retreat had over 30 attendees who practically declared the event to be life-changing.
Building on that success, hizKNITS and I were inspired to bring some of that manly magic to the West Coast and thus, the Men's Fall Knitting Retreat 2008 was born. With only a short time to research possible venues and get the word out, we, as a group, ended up choosing the picturesque and budget-friendly YMCA Point Bonita Conference Center. It is located just minutes over the Golden Gate Bridge in the Marin Headlands overlooking San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
There were 19 folks who attended the retreat and we had a wonderfully varied crew. One of our group hailed from Sweden, one from Canada, one from the Mid-West with the remaining guys from the West Coast states.
These past few weeks have been filled with last minute photocopying, organizing donations, and making sure that the classes, handouts and binders were in working order.
This is what the goodie bag table looked like before our guests arrived. You see here Article Pract tape measures, Spinning Loft writing pens, Crystal Palace yarns, Tactile Fiber Arts sampler bags and..... *drum roll please* Skacel project bags containing (1) a sock pattern, (2) Fortissima yarn for said pattern, and (3) one of a kind Addi Turbo Needles with 40" join for magic looping those socks.
And that's not counting the Raffle/Contest Prizing!!! More on that later.
There's a million crafters in Fiber City and we've all got a yarn to spin, knit, crochet, weave...
oooh, look at all those beautiful goodies! i'm so jealous!
ReplyDeleteOoh, this is one of those times I wish I wasn't a girl. It doesn't come along often, but the fiber swag overcame me.
ReplyDeleteOh my GAWD you actually pulled it off--so proud of you!! Can't wait for the deets!
ReplyDeleteby all accounts it sounds like it was a wonderful time...and those goodies...I'm ashamed that I didn't get a contribution out on time...head up my butt, I guess.
ReplyDeleteGlad it was a great success...mostly due, I hear, to your hard work! Congratulations
Sounds like a great time! Could knitter purchase that fabo Skacel bag somewhere? I want one! hmmm?
ReplyDeleteEverytime I read something new or view 267 photos on someone's Flickr account, I am truly inspired.
ReplyDeleteVery nice job!