Hi friends, Last week I braved a torrential downpour to attend a meeting of the Downtown Knit Collective, a Toronto knitting guild. This fine organization organizes the annual Knitter's Frolic, so I knew they'd be a lively group who loved yarn! But for some reason I wasn't expecting to see such a sizable crowd – there must have been 150 people there, if not more. Knitters of all ages and ability levels, men and women (even a dog!), and almost everyone working away on a project while the meeting got underway. I often pop by the Purple Purl for a cup of tea and some companionable knitting, but this was the first time I'd ever attended a guild meeting. Although there was a bit of "business" to it (an agenda for speakers, and the like), the meeting was actually lots of fun, with reps from Patons and Diamond Yarns passing around samples of new yarns for Fall/Winter 2011/2012. I'll definitely go back. This has me wondering: Do you belong to a craft guild in your community? What do you like or dislike about it? If there isn't one nearby, would you think about starting one?