Our own SVP of Programs Elizabeth Clause gave a wonderful presentation this month about knitting resources on the Internet. For those who were unfamiliar, Elizabeth opened eyes to the wonders of blogs, on-line shopping,
Ravelry, pod casts, knit-alongs, and more. There were many, many things to say and show. We didn't have enough time for Elizabeth to cover all she had planned. If you missed the meeting, you can download the presentation
here or the handout
here. Please remember that this is Elizabeth's own work, so do respect her rights to her intellectual property. Both of these files are laden with links and information that will keep you busy for days, so do be sure you've cleared your calendar. With all these great resources, we may need to have a follow-up discussion on how did anybody ever knit before 1980?
On final note: Elizabeth mentioned that there is a Ravelry group for Dragon*Con. There was a murmur in the crowd of people whispering to their neighbors, "What's Dragon*Con?"
Dragon*Con is the BIG science fiction/fantasy convention held every year in downtown Atlanta. It is four days of costumes and round-the-clock merriment. If you are a geek, nerd, trekker, Jedi, elf, or the like and you live in the Southeast, this is where you are Labor Day weekend. And if you knit, you are there, in costume, with your knitting, possibly making another Griffindor scarf for your Harry Potter costume.
I recently had occasion to travel to the Georgia-Tennessee-North Carolina border. While up that way, I decided to visit member shop Mountain Yarn in Blairsville.
The shop is just off the main road, a right turn on Old Blue Ridge Highway. From Atlanta, take I-75 North to I-575 North and keep following it even as it changes names and becomes a state route. You'll go about 94 miles to get to Blairsville, which is about 22 miles past Blue Ridge. If you get to the stoplight in Blairsville, you've gone too far and you'll need to make a couple right turns to come back around to the shop.
I arrived late in the day but was warmly greeted by Pat, who recently purchased this shop. There are lots of good changes coming. Even in its current transition, the shop had nice things to offer. Tofusies, Noro, Addi needles in both Natura (bamboo) and Turbo (metal), and suede bottoms for drawstring bags. I bought two skeins of Araucania Ranco multi (a sock weight yarn) in a blue-purple colorway reminiscent of the ocean waves. There was a nice selection of books, although most of those I already have in my library. I did seriously consider the 220 Patterns for Cascade 220. Pat and I chatted cordially about knitting and yarn, traffic and the cost of fuel, and how truly beautiful north Georgia is. Pat previously owned a shop in Florida, so Mountain Yarn should be in very good hands. If you find yourself up north past even the edges of metro Atlanta, this sweet store is worth a stop.
