Sock Summit!!!


Must obtain yarn this color =)





I can't believe that Sock Summit is just a few days away. I've been excited about attending for over a year now and now its just around the corner. I'm really excited about the classes I'm taking, the lectures, sock hop, luminary panel, Ravelry meet-up...so much fun in just a few short days!!! I've never been to Portland before and I'm looking forward to seeing a new city and meeting new friends. I'm not quite sure what to expect but I'm pretty sure that Sock Summit will live up to all expectations. I think I'm just as nervous about the unexpected as well. When I was still working I would travel from time to time and I always enjoyed the Independence of exploring a new place. For the most part most of the conferences I've attended have been work or school related...translation.....archaeology conferences.


Now archaeology conferences are pretty darn cool. Often times there are amazing lectures and updates on projects going on in different areas and archaeologists themselves....well they can be quite the entertaining bunch. Gathering us all in one place with equally obsessed cohorts just kind of fuels the fire. Each and every archaeology conference I've attended has been memorable. I remember my first conference when I was an undergrad and I was so worried that I wouldn't fit in, or I wouldn't know anyone or I wouldn't understand what the lectures were about, etc...you name it I was nervous about it. The funny thing is now that I'm retired from archaeology I realize how far I had come from being so nervous at my first conference to attending subsequent conferences and knowing more people, giving my own lecture in front of my peers, and rubbing elbows with some of the archaeologists whose work I studied in school. The last archaeology conference I attended was about 4-5 months prior to being diagnosed with MS. It was a blast, I had a great time with my friends, made some new contacts, learned a lot and just really enjoyed being around folks with the same interest. Over the past few years as MS has invaded my life I've found myself adapting, adjusting, trying to figure things out and deal with the reality of my life now. Now that I'm not working, I'm not in school, I'm not pursuing archaeology anymore. In a lot of ways I still struggle with "who am I now?" I'm the same person but at the same time things are a lot different now.


I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't nervous about Sock Summit but I'm pretty sure my excitement overpowers any nerves I'm having (i.e. don't make an ass (sorry I should write arse) of myself if I meet the Yarn Harlot. I attended multiple classes with Cat Bordhi at TNNA and managed not to make an ass out of myself but still the sheer number of amazing sock knitters that are going to be at this event is staggering. It may not be scientific but I'm pretty sure that the increased volume of superstar knitters (Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Anna Zilboorg, Barbara Walker, Cat Bordhi, etc...) only increases the chance of making yourself look like a huge idiot. In a few days I'm going to be in a strange city and I'm going to be surrounded by knitters...more specifically sock knitters.....and I'm guessing from looking at the vendor list that the sock yarn fumes are going to be engulfing Portland for what is sure to be an incredibly memorable weekend.

1 comments:

Acorn to Oak said...

How exciting! How was it?