Over 5 years ago, I moved to Calgary with my husband with no idea what I was going to do and no idea who I would meet. It is hard to believe for some, but I am a pretty private person and don’t (didn’t) allow myself the privilege of having friends. That has changed and all because I knit.
What use to be a Saturday afternoon gathering, has morphed into three groups; Saturday morning, Friday morning and alternating Wednesday/Tuesday evenings. Every week these three groups draw in the neighbourhood of 25 regular and many more occasional women (and some men) together. I lead the group and for the most part attend all three meetings. We call ourselves “Chicks with Stix”. We are more than that, way more!
Yes, the girls bring stix and all sorts of wonderful inspirations in the form of knitting, crochet and needle work, but more importantly we bring ourselves. Single. married, with and without children (grown and small), working, at home or working at home, we have become each others council, encouragement, strength and soft place to land. We remind each other to laugh, to sing (yes we have sung – 5 of us at sock summit and it was beautiful), and occasionally cry. We have gained respect, given respect and taught to respect. We don’t always agree but we do listen.
Yesterday, a new member asked what we do in this group. I sent her a quick email saying “We are mostly a social group throwing in a bit of knitting, crocheting or cross stitch. Everyone brings what they are working on to keep busy hands while we chat.” I was wrong. This group is a powerful group of great people who have given each of us the privilege of getting to know them and I for one am so damn proud to be their leader, in an unassuming way of course.
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Did you know that During the first World War, knitting was far more that just an art — it was a cause!
Whenever I can make it, I always enjoy the circle of friends!
When I decided to learn to knit I went to Meetup to see if there were any places to learn in an informal way. I came across Chicks with Stix and at first thougth it was a women’s hockey group but the balls of yarn around the info confirmed it was a knitting group. I emailed Sam and asked if anyone was up to teaching me how to knit. And in her usual way she said of course. I came and started on that first dishcloth (which I still have). But as Sam said in this blog that is not the most important thing. The ‘chicks’ treated me with kindness and supported me through the worst time of my life by being there every Saturday morning with their smiles and good humour. I have since moved to Vancouver and have joined many knit groups here looking for my Sam and Chicks. Sadly there are none to be found. So I have decided to be my own Sam and try to help anyone who needs it. I now uinderstand why Sam can go to 3 knitting sessions a week!
Now I am not saying I can knit like Sam but I have learned a bit since 2009 and share what I can. Most of all I make sure that when i am present the group is a safe, supportive, informative and fun place.
THANK YOU SAM and all the CHICKS who were there for me and know that your generosity was appreciated and is being passed on the best I can.
Noreen
Noreen, I am so pleased you are paying it forward. I bet you are an amazing mentor for your group. Hugs.
well I tried joining a knitting group but left after 1 hour. I felt like an outsider and not very welcome. Out of the dozen of person there, only 1 made conversation with me. the others simply ignored me. bad experience. I too am a private person and I thought I would meet friends with similar taste in hobby. but I was off. Wish there were a Chicks with stix in my neck of the wood
Lise
I am so sorry to hear it wasn’t a good experience for you. Perhaps as Noreen has suggested in a comment above, you need to start your own group. Speaking from personal experience, it was scarry at first but in the end it has been worth it for me and my group of amazing women of whome I knew none before we met at “Chicks”
Sam,
Your Chicks with Stix are amazing! They helped me through a tough transition, improved my knitting with kindness and are still my most missed people from Calgary.
It’s over 3 years since I left and I still consider myself a member!
Well done on your generous act of sharing yourself with so many. Many hugs.
And ladies, at the turn of the 20th century, women used craft groups as a cover for suffragette meetings. Who knows what revolutions the Chicks are hatching now?
I think of you often and miss you too. Hope SA was an amazing trip for you in spite of loosing a bag of treasures?