The Unnamable
My father’s official job title is “industrial physicist.” He worked in the oil field for a while in the 70s and early 80s, but has found his niche more recently in robotics. He designs and builds machines that make other things – circuit boards, printer cartridges, airbags, and the like. It’s a pretty nifty job.
But what I always admired about my father’s job is just how small it makes the world. The field of industrial physics is wider than, say, the science of moose droppings, but it’s pretty small. My dad knows most of the movers and shakers in the industrial physics world – other industrial physicists, those who hire industrial physicists, representatives of companies that seek industrial physicists…in the 80s, my father was an acquaintance of Steve Jobs, – he worked with him developing NeXT, and used to go to his parties. (Dad says he’s a weird guy, ever since he came back from India. And he likes carrot juice.)
But the point is, my dad knows just about everyone of note in the not-very-wide-world of industrial physics, and I always thought that was cool. Hundreds of men and women, bound together by the inherent geekiness of knowing how things move. Pretty neat.
When I was in college, I read a book about the scientists who built the atomic bomb – I believe it was The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes, but I’d have to double check. And while the science was fascinating, and the moral quandaries thought-provoking, what struck me more than anything was the relationship among the scientists. Can you imagine? All those brilliant minds in one room, building off of each others’ thoughts and ideas, riffing off each other to produce one of the most fast-paced series of discoveries in history. Most of them had no desire for fame, and most of them were horrified at the end result of their experiments – they simply wanted to know, to build, to create something from the collective genius. Can you even imagine how it might have felt to be in the room with all that brilliance and raw potential?
And so I’ve found myself continually fascinated by that dynamic – groups of people who have a burning passion for one thing, and seek out others with that same passion. Musicians, scientists, hackers, activists – those who burn with an idea are inevitably drawn together, coming from all ends of the Earth, to share and create and make something bigger than themselves. They find like-minded people, and that energy is almost tangible. To know such a diverse group of people who nonetheless have this one thing – whatever it is – in common…well, it must be incredible.
I’ve always wanted it – that rush, that network of people to bounce ideas off of, the energy of realizing that one need not create in a vacuum – but I’d never been able to find it. I’m a lousy hacker (I could have been great, if I’d decided to program instead of play games.) I’m an even worse musician. I couldn’t design a nuclear bomb, or even a machine to put wrappers on candy. I didn’t have anything in my life that connected me to people like that, and it had always bummed me out.
And then, this past weekend, I realized that I had finally found it.
The Wool Market was wonderful, of course. Sheep! Alpacas! Llamas! Goats! Bunnies! Yarn! Roving! Fleece! It’s enough to make a girl swoon from the heady fiberiness of it all! Taelixev and I had a wonderful time talking each other into purchases and splurges, and spent most of the afternoon trying to combat Bradon’s argument that I can’t get a spinning wheel because we have nowhere to put it. (”Look, that one is so small!” “Look, that one folds up into a box!”) I bought the most perfect drop spindle (the spiders – yes, I know I’m terrified of bugs, but it didn’t just call to me…it sang to me) and some glorious roving, and the most beautiful laceweight from a company whose name is doggedly escaping me, and, and, and….
But none of it compared to what happened after we left the Market. The experience of spending the evening laughing and talking and eating and knitting with a whole whack of knitters…I can’t even begin to describe it. And I know, really, that I don’t need to – that most of you who have been doing this longer than I, or who are more social than I, already know the wonder that is a huge group of knitbloggers in a room. If you’ve haven’t experienced it, you must! I sat on the floor of the crowded living room of the condo that Margene et al had rented for the weekend, knit on the edging for Mountain Peaks, and just basked in it. Snow cracking us all up (tell us about Grandma’s special friend, Snow). Carole explaining the term “packie run” over and over to a bunch of western knitblogers who had no idea what she was on about. The smell of Bakerina’s pies in the oven (the wonderful things you’ve been hearing about the pies?…they were even better than that.) Anne and Karen (blogless, I believe…someone please correct me if I’m wrong) teaching Laurie how to drop spindle. Michaele regaling us with stories of academia. Listening to Mim rail against the socks she hates, but that she is knitting for her sister anyway (she is every bit as sweet and dear as she seems on her blog…everyone wanted to take her home with them.) Kristi and her marvelous baby halter top hat. Meeting Amanda and finding myself far too charmed to be intimidated by the fact that she works for Interweave (Amanda is a seriously funny lady). Sitting in the presence of Birdsong while wearing the socks that I knit from the yarn that I won from her 300th Post Contest. Sitting next to Margene, spinning on my new drop spindle…her mere presence is soothing (until she yells “fuck” at the top of her lungs – that’s kind of disconcerting, but in the best way.)
And suddenly, I realized…this is it. And it’s every bit as delicious as I always imagined it would be. Thank you, all of you.
(All this, and no camera. Alas.)
1ellie
wrote on 21 June 2006 at 16:21
Yay! That sounds delightful. I’m so glad you had such a good time. And I know exactly what you mean about that community. I used to wonder how I could get into a think tank.
2Erin
wrote on 21 June 2006 at 16:38
I have been there. It’s the most amazing thing to get together with people you barely know, and yet can feel so comfortable around. That’s why I love knitters. We all just get along so well and not only that, we share a passion that seems crazy to an outsider, but perfectly natural to us! Glad to hear you had such a wonderful time!
3Miriam
wrote on 21 June 2006 at 16:40
Thank you, thank you, and THANK YOU again! I just got out of the bathroom from crying at work because a higher up is heartless and I spent the last 5 hours fighting with my computer to do something it should have no trouble doing and having to log back in multiple times and trying to decipher why the GODDAMN computer won’t let me log in properly, and a whole host of other woes and you make me laugh and feel all warm and fuzzy. *hug*
4Mouse
wrote on 21 June 2006 at 17:07
Sounds like you had an awesome time!! I am hoping that maybe next year I can venture out to Colorado during Estes Wool Market and hang out with y’all!
5Elisabeth
wrote on 21 June 2006 at 17:07
Packie run? Isn’t that a trip to the liquor store (otherwise known as the “packaged goods” store)?
I love, love, looove that you have equated a knitblogger meeting with the Manhattan Project. I wish I could say that all science is that congenial, but alas, it is not so.
Speaking of the Manhattan Project, hubby’s thesis advisor worked on it as a grad student (can you imagine? your thesis is part of the Manhattan Project?). He worked on purifying the Uranium. At any rate, once when he was talking about it, he said he had thought they were working toward a power source for submarines. It took him a long time to realize that the simplest thing was to make it go boom.
6Carrie K
wrote on 21 June 2006 at 17:16
Heh. First (and probably last) time us knitters will be equated with industrial physicists. But too cool. And that’s the right title and author – Richard Rhodes writes science so accessibly.
7margene
wrote on 21 June 2006 at 17:53
Oh dear…you reveal the real me;-) It was SO great to meet you face to face. Next year will be even better (as long as Jen cooks for us again)!
8Rachel H
wrote on 21 June 2006 at 18:24
Ah yes. the first fibre festival meeting up with the knitbloggers you’ve come to love feeling. Ain’t it GREAT!?!??!
9Kristi aka Fiber Fool
wrote on 21 June 2006 at 18:30
It was a pretty amazing weekend wasn’t it?? It was so aweseom to be surrounded by so many that share the love of fiber, yarn, knitting, spinning and blogging! It was great to meet you!
10Chris
wrote on 21 June 2006 at 21:13
I love how reading all the different perspectives of Estes is giving me such a fabulous feel of it. Thanks for sharing!
11janna
wrote on 21 June 2006 at 22:42
That sounds so great — I wish I lived somewhere near a yarn fest! Oh — and I tagged you for a meme on my blog (sorry!).
12taelixev
wrote on 22 June 2006 at 11:16
But even without the pictures you do paint a wonderful picture.
If your camera is not working by July 15th let me know.
13Debbie
wrote on 22 June 2006 at 11:55
Wow, it sounds wonderful. If there’s no word yet for that kind of dynamic, there sure ought to be.
Saw your socks on another blog — very nice!
14Norah
wrote on 22 June 2006 at 14:49
Yay! That sounds like so much fun!
15Carole
wrote on 22 June 2006 at 19:07
You did an awesome job describing the scene in the living room Saturday night. It was perfect!
16sunflowerfairy
wrote on 22 June 2006 at 19:13
Nerdy, I swear you and my husband were separated at birth. lol. If you only knew….
It sounds like you had fun at the fiber fest. Can I just say how jealous I am.
And, I don’t care how much you spent on that nasty a$$ spidery spindle, you paid too much. Ew, woman-spiders??? What were you thinking??? lol
17Birdsong
wrote on 22 June 2006 at 20:10
You said it so well! I am geographically isolated from any bloggers and hardly even any knitters and will have to try and coast on the high for a really long time.
18Isela
wrote on 23 June 2006 at 13:54
We have been compared to physicists….I may just swoon. It is great finding our little space in the world
19Amanda
wrote on 23 June 2006 at 14:41
It was great meeting you too…and I love the scientifc perspective. Plus, it’s always great to be called “funny” and not just “funny looking.” Keep in touch!
20Wanda
wrote on 24 June 2006 at 10:23
You expressed my sentiments about the whole blogging thing exactly. It is wonderful to meet up with people who may be completely different in other aspects of their life, but in knitting you find a kinship. It was great to meet you, however briefly. I’ve your blog set up in my bloglines now. Take care.
21Bakerina
wrote on 24 June 2006 at 19:19
Oh, my dear. Many’s the time I’ve been too teary and choked up to speak, but this might be the first time I’ve been too teary and choked up to type.
This was a brilliant post, Imbrium. Really brilliant. A splendid summary of a splendid weekend. I had such a wonderful time with you and the rest of the fiberistas. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
22Laura
wrote on 28 June 2006 at 18:40
Ahhhhh thank you. Thank you so much for this post. I hope that I can be there next to you sitting on the floor at Margene’s feet next year.
I’m so behind on my blog reading but…. you dad’s sweater is so awesome – what hat pattern did you decide on for the Koigu? – hurry up with the camera – how’s the new job going? I have to stay more current on your blog – I love reading it and keeping up with what you’re doing.