I first went to an Oxford Bluestockings meeting some time in 2005 because I wanted some help with a pattern I bought:

I turned up with a huge carrier bag full of cheap acrylic yarn and realised from the moment I’d walked in that there was now a whole world of knitting that I just knew nothing about.

Lace knitting (what’s that?) and different fibres (really?) and knitty (what is knitty?) and long-tail cast-on (you can cast-on in different ways?) and blogs and shops and projects and stoles and knitalongs and podcasts and, and, and…

I bought some books on sock-knitting and a self-patterning sock kit as a starting thing. I continue to knit whimsy like soundsystems and fireworks and of course, knitted walking stick cosies.

I learn loads from the other Bluestockings knitters and this year have really enjoyed loads of outings, trips, visits, birthdays, tea and cakes. And I love reading everyone’s blogs and our meetings.

The Oxford Bluestockings also played a crucial role in my final project for my MA Programme. The Missability Radio Show’s Knitted Walking Stick Cosy Competition  couldn’t have happened without all the support and input I got from the other knitters. Judging the competition was really a lot of fun and I was very grateful to all who came. It really made the show for me; the opening night was so great and the feedback I got on it was super-positive also. It’s going to be interesting to see how the competition develops in its second round.

I’m happy to be part of something so creative and I’m grateful for all the friendships evolving out of The Oxford Bluestockings.

I’ve been a member of Oxford Bluestockings since November 2005.

I remember that I nearly didn’t go the first week. I was certainly nervous, and - having never been to a stitch n bitch before - had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know how old everyone was likely to be, or what sort of things people knitted.

I hadn’t been living in Oxford for very long at the time, and I didn’t really know anyone outside of my partner’s friends. Certainly I didn’t have any local crafty friends. I’d just got married, and made a major change to my career and lots of things were feeling really new.

In the end I shouldn’t have worried. I said hello, started knitting whatever project I was working on (I have no idea what?) and slowly but surely got drawn into the conversation. It turned out there was a lot of crossover in interests outside of knitting; alot of ‘Oh well if you like that, you’ll probably like…’ and left feeling like I’d returned to the land of the living some what.

Certainly being part of the Bluestockings made settling into a new city much easier than I expected. I now have a good group of friends who are creative, and kind, and interesting, and who understand my need to make things.

They have been a massive support about starting my own natural yarn dyeing business, Oxford Kitchen Yarns. It made a big different to how brave I’ve felt about it.

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Katie http://www.oxfordkitchenyarns.com/blog/