So that was pretty full of awesome.
I attended tonight's Ignite Craft Boston event, hosted and arranged by Guido of the Common Cod Fiber Guild, and although I expected it would be fun (as all the Guild events I've attended have been) I wasn't quite prepared for the degree of awesomeness. Let me define the awesomeness: lots of enthusiasm, knowledge, and a healthy dose of humor with every presentation. This was completely fun show & tell for adults, but with all the discovery and enthusiasm of kindergarten. And I mean that in the best possible way. As another couple of friends put it, 'this gave me new faith in events like these!' - granted, they'd been burned out by attending too many business (read sales/networky/markety) conference events, and I could well relate to how fried they'd become. This, let me reassure you, was far from that type of experience.
It was also a great relief after a solid work-week after a stupid blizzard that dumped more than 2 feet of snow on us and made finding a parking space and driving in the city something of a drag. Also, cookies were provided.
I was very pleased to see that all kinds of connections to and definitions of the 'Craft' theme were addressed; one woman gave a great talk about the importance of concrete, fun, hands-on exploration for the classroom - even/especially for adult students (yay! yes yes yes!); another person stood up and talked about craft beers - the appreciation thereof, and how much we're missing out on if we weren't already aware of the great and tasty variety of beverages that await our palates. I already follow him on twitter and agree wholeheartedly. Everyone meant what they had to say - and yet were all humble about their knowledge - and we all had a great time. Every talk was punctuated by guffaws and hoots of laughter, cheering, and enthusiastic applause. There were people talking about how they used craft to support a good cause or two, and others who were simply sharing their experiences with problem-solving and curiousity about how things work, and how to fix/hack/mod them. {Lady speaker with the rock as a hammer - I sense a kindred spirit in you. Maybe next time my presentation will be about how to go camping and chop firewood without any sharp implements...}
I've called out a couple favorite speakers, but really - they were all great. Their presentations (both slides & audio as well as I believe a video of selections) will be available soon via the Common Cod or the Ignite site - not sure which but I'll update with a link once that happens. they were all well-worth your time to tune in & enjoy.
On an only-marginally-related note, while I was knitting during these talks (and got about half-finished with a new cotton wash cloth that I've been wanting...) I noticed that the people who didn't bring knitting like me, were all fidgeting with their hands as though they wanted to get hands-on with something.
I'm glad that Guido made noises to the effect that we'll get to do another of these events - there clearly is plenty of enthusiasm and interest both in terms of presenters and material, and audience / participants.
{If you're reading this and you're not in Mass., do check out the Ignite website for what their scene is about and the use of their name, and if you're interested in setting up an event like this in your city, consult the Common Cod site for more particulars. It was great, I recommend it, and with a little organization & preparation, you're going to have a great time like we did!}
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Recent events...
Well, I've survived the holiday rush, relatively unscathed (i.e., I took a few days off for a restful staycation, and slept!)
Some projects were completed, other started, and still more added to my ravelry queue in the faint and distant hope of ever getting around to casting on, let alone completing them. Still, I'm diligently working on a cardigan for the dad, and I completed and mailed out to my baby niece a new little sweater with giraffe buttons, and I'm assured that alias-Pnut is conducting rigorous product testing at this moment! I've found a pattern in the Knitter's Book of Yarn (KBOY) that I think will be a good use of my stashed crochet cotton from ages ago, so I started that pattern as well, in part to learn / practice a Figure-8 Cast On. I'm not sure I like that method, but I can see its utility in this case. I had to hold off on adding the stitch-markers until later in the process, because working with the tiny yarn and tiny needles (I used #2s) in this case was simply too unwieldy when you add markers to the mix. After working through the first several "rounds" I'm pleased with how quickly it builds up and am looking forward to finishing it fairly soon.
In more recent events, I heard about - at the last minute - a fun event: Clara Parkes, the author of the KBOY, a really cool, wonderful, informative and fun read about the how, why and what of yarn and fiber, was going to be in Boston to give a talk at a meeting of the local fiber guild: Common Cod. The weather turned out to be clear, but bitter cold and windy. The crowd (and there was a crowd, I'm happy to say) were all busily knitting - making me and my knitting and hiking buddy, Chiquitita, wish we'd brought our own projects. The sound of knitting needles occasionally falling to the floor punctuated the talk, and it was funny to sit high up in a full auditorium, to watch the talk over the he
ads of knitters occasionally stretching an arm up to draw more yarn out from their working skeins. The talk was fun and hilarious, and we filled room 123 of the MIT Stata Center ( a fairly large auditorium-style class room).
Clara not only discussed yarn and fiber developments, but informed us about her recently developed "theory of stashitivity"...she's a great speaker, and stayed not only to answer questions afterward, but also to sign copies of her books (and had even brought a couple to sell, for those of us who were honoring last-minute requests from relatives for a copy...like, my mother). Thanks and kudos go out to the organizers of the event (Common Cod and I believe MITKnit? ) for organizing the event and the space. I'll definitely be back for other events.
I'm beginning to enjoy attending some of these talks more and more: it's inspiring and encouraging not only to see photos of yarn and projects, but to get a chance to speak with fellow fiber enthusiasts, compare notes, and have a good laugh.
Hopefully, the posts will be a little less intermittent now that winter's here.
Some projects were completed, other started, and still more added to my ravelry queue in the faint and distant hope of ever getting around to casting on, let alone completing them. Still, I'm diligently working on a cardigan for the dad, and I completed and mailed out to my baby niece a new little sweater with giraffe buttons, and I'm assured that alias-Pnut is conducting rigorous product testing at this moment! I've found a pattern in the Knitter's Book of Yarn (KBOY) that I think will be a good use of my stashed crochet cotton from ages ago, so I started that pattern as well, in part to learn / practice a Figure-8 Cast On. I'm not sure I like that method, but I can see its utility in this case. I had to hold off on adding the stitch-markers until later in the process, because working with the tiny yarn and tiny needles (I used #2s) in this case was simply too unwieldy when you add markers to the mix. After working through the first several "rounds" I'm pleased with how quickly it builds up and am looking forward to finishing it fairly soon.
In more recent events, I heard about - at the last minute - a fun event: Clara Parkes, the author of the KBOY, a really cool, wonderful, informative and fun read about the how, why and what of yarn and fiber, was going to be in Boston to give a talk at a meeting of the local fiber guild: Common Cod. The weather turned out to be clear, but bitter cold and windy. The crowd (and there was a crowd, I'm happy to say) were all busily knitting - making me and my knitting and hiking buddy, Chiquitita, wish we'd brought our own projects. The sound of knitting needles occasionally falling to the floor punctuated the talk, and it was funny to sit high up in a full auditorium, to watch the talk over the he
ads of knitters occasionally stretching an arm up to draw more yarn out from their working skeins. The talk was fun and hilarious, and we filled room 123 of the MIT Stata Center ( a fairly large auditorium-style class room).Clara not only discussed yarn and fiber developments, but informed us about her recently developed "theory of stashitivity"...she's a great speaker, and stayed not only to answer questions afterward, but also to sign copies of her books (and had even brought a couple to sell, for those of us who were honoring last-minute requests from relatives for a copy...like, my mother). Thanks and kudos go out to the organizers of the event (Common Cod and I believe MITKnit? ) for organizing the event and the space. I'll definitely be back for other events.
I'm beginning to enjoy attending some of these talks more and more: it's inspiring and encouraging not only to see photos of yarn and projects, but to get a chance to speak with fellow fiber enthusiasts, compare notes, and have a good laugh.
Hopefully, the posts will be a little less intermittent now that winter's here.
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