Silver Falls Knitting Retreat

Of course, there is only one way to sum up my weekend at the Silver Falls Knitting Retreat: fabulous, lovely, awesome, paradise on earth for knitters. The only problem was that I had to leave!

This is the Blueberry Lodge, my accommodation for the weekend. There were several other cabins, a dining hall, and a big meeting room where we met for "official business". The first evening we introduced ourselves and shared a few of our favorite knitted items. On Saturday, there was a big yarn auction. I sold a box-full of unneeded stash and unintentionally (ahem) acquired some new yarn. I signed up for future retreats and ate too much (there were peanut and almond M&Ms involved) and knit, knit, knit. I'll share the projects and progress later.

Silver Falls State Park ("the largest state park in Oregon") is such a beautiful place. My mother and I went hiking and enjoyed South Falls, a very tall and popular waterfall. The hiking trail goes behind the falls, and the surrounding cliffs form a basin. I felt very small.

There are many other things to do there - horseback riding, cycling, campfire circles, swimming pools, a huge network of trails to explore... but we had no time for such activities. We were there for a serious purpose: Knitting. :)

I realized that I have mostly been knitting in a bubble. I don't have any close knitting friends. I don't go to knitting groups and I didn't even know that knitting guilds existed. I've never taken a knitting class and I avoid knitting shops (because I fear acquiring a monstrous stash). Nearly everything I've learned about knitting has come from my mother, a few books, and many many knitting-related websites and blogs. When I feel the need to be a part of a knitting community, I write in my knitting blog and produce knitting podcasts.

This is why it was so refreshing to be around so many knitters, experienced and inexperienced, dedicated and casual. The spectrum ranged from women who were still learning to knit to women who have been knitting since the 1930s. I saw how warm and welcoming the non-digital knitting community can be. My mother and I shared our cabin with these lovely ladies (who happen to live in and around Eugene) and really enjoyed their company - I hope our paths will cross again soon!

I came away from the retreat with new friends, new yarn, new ideas, and way too much inspiration for new projects and subjects for the podcast. Is there such thing as too much inspiration? Probably not. There is only the problem of not enough time for using all that inspiration!

Speaking of not enough time, I have been avoiding spinning and other fiber-related hobbies. With a full-time job, part-time school, and a myriad of other interests and friends and things to do, it's a wonder that I have time to knit. How would I ever find time to spin?

Sigh. These women looked so happy and peaceful spinning and knitting in the sun. Someday I hope to have more time to explore spinning, weaving and other fiber (and non-fiber) arts.

If you've come to visit my website because you met me at the retreat, welcome! Thank you for stopping by! I had a lovely time and I hope we will meet again.