Money to burn.

SCKC cost me around £800.
Possibly more.

Now I don't know about the rest of you out there in the ether, but to me that is a considerable amount of money. Every summer I go to Scarborough for a week, staying in my friend's small but lovely hotel. I do a lot of walking, reading, sitting by the sea and unwinding - I do it on the cheap. I love it (Scarby holds very special memories for me, family holidays every year, my wonderful nan and gag, all sorts - I love it).

It isn't megacheap (I think it's now more expensive to holiday in the UK than it is to get a cheap flight) but it is considerably less than £800.

I go on my own, and potter about at my own speed. It works for me, perfectly.

So going to something like Knit Camp was a big change. I don't do socialising very much (especially since being so ill), haven't been on top form, and it was considerably more expensive than I could afford.

BUT.

My wonderful friend was coming through from France for the week, we had the opportunity to mix with knitters, spinners and fibre enthusiasts from the world over (I have never even seen anyone else spinning in reality, I taught myself) , I hadn't been to Stirling for many years, my Dr and Occupational health bods insisted it would do me good etc etc.

The opportunity to have a stand for my sewing was superb, it cost (again) a fair amount of money and was the first larger event I had done. So I invested a lot of money in materials and sewed up a storm. Updated my public liability insurance (again, money) - oh,by the way, I was NEVER asked to show evidence of this. Not once.

Without bleating on about the financial side too much - but it is too important not to mention it - I was seriously looking forward to the week for many reasons.

Then (at the risk of repeating my original Knit Camp posts)

it all started to go tits up on Ravelry.

Yes people got heated.

Yes things got het up.

But by hell there was damned good reason for it all.

And no, I am not going to go into the whole thing again because I feel I have done that in detail.

So now here we are - people have not had replies for 2 weeks whilst the 'organiser' has had a holiday.

In her words - played with my children (who I had not seen for two and a half weeks before Camp), baked, been on a few day trips, gone to our wonderful local museum, done some knitting, felting, spinning (mainly the latter) and even washed a pretty dirty fleece. And the most amazing thing - done some much-needed housework

Source: http://knitcamp2010.blogspot.com/2010/08/reflections.html

Apparently the blame seems to lie with Britsh Knitters: the British knitting public are unlike their North American cousins in that they do not travel

Eh?

Am I the only person reading this and feeling quite sick?

And then we come to this bit. I am assuming - I suspect correctly - it means me.

I can understand some folks' anger and would feel upset if I were them, (but anger is something I try not to feel too much). When things are true, and come from people who were there and therefore have the right to make valid comments, then I can accept that. And I will try to deal with it. Although there is one person who I believe came with the objective to find fault in absolutely everything. Quite frankly, I feel very sorry for this individual.

OK. So....

1) anyone who is angry is not as good a person as she is

2) erm - my comments are TOTALLY TRUE

3) I WAS there

4) I did not go with the intention of finding fault in everything - check your facts, I had 2 classes booked, and a surprise extra class booked as a present from my friend. I was staying off campus. I have always ALWAYS said that I was aiming to have a brilliant holiday no matter what. Knit Camp was the original intention but was NOT the sole be all and end all of my plans

5) I do not need your sympathy

Instead of writing an incredibly arrogant, offensive, patronising and incorrect blog post which only serves to insult the entire British Knitting public (who in large are an incredibly supportive, innovative, friendly and rather wonderful bunch), maybe it would be more productive to spend the time sorting out refunds, contacting the people who have been totally ignored for the last two weeks, posting out outstanding goods ordered and paid for, paying tutors - get the idea?

We legally have to deal with 'stuff' within 28 days of the end of the event, and we will do that.

Stuff?

How bloody rude.

We're really glad that, despite what some people have tried to give the impression of, several hundred folks joined together in one beautiful place for a week of camaraderie, knitting and cake.

Nobody has - to my knowledge - implied anything else.

People were wonderful - they looked out for each other, they got on with it, laughed, chatted, broke the ice, made their own introductions, made friends, made arrangements to meet again, went for meals, pottered about, shared tips.

But I will say it one more time - they did this despite, not because, of Knit Camp.

Barristers? Perrrrrllleaaaaase .... get a grip.

 ** scuse the strange fonts, I think someone has cursed my keyboard. It's a conspiracy, a CONSPIRACY I SAY!