A Little Gush Fest

Not only does Anne have amazing clubs to offer, she has ravelry clubhouses to support them separate from her #1 knitspot fan group. There is one for Bare Naked and Fall In Full Color. Instead of me telling you all how great the clubhouses are, I’m letting the members testimonies speak for themselves. Plus, I thought a little love about the club itself wouldn’t hurt! Maybe it will entice you to join us!

From moderator kimkimkim:

The Fall in Full Color club and the Bare Naked Club have the best people on Ravelry.  I know, a lot of people probably say that about their groups, but seriously!!  I’m telling the truth.  I love being a co-moderator with Kat for these two clubs.  We are “in charge” of the Ravelry Clubhouse where we discuss everything to do with the pattern and yarns that Anne chooses, as well as everything else. Reading the latest posts in the Ravelry FIFC and BNK groups is my ‘morning cuppa’ each day, and my ‘nightcap’ in the evening.  I have made so many friends!  I tell my kids “all my friends live in the computer!”  And it’s true!  I consider the clubbies some of my closest buddies!  I’ve “met” some wonderful people!  That’s the thing about the Clubhouse. . . it’s full of up-beat, positive people.  We’ve got enough snark in the world – we don’t need any in our clubhouse, and everyone ‘gets it.’  The Clubhouse is a safe place.  Everyone is FUN, and supportive and caring.  We’ve had some sad things among our members – deaths of spouses and parents, sickness, accidents, etc.  Everyone gathers around in a supportive circle of love.  That may sound sappy, but it’s true!! When your’e a FIFC club member, or a BNK clubbie, you’ve got a circle of instant friends and support.

So what do we talk about in the clubhouse?  Everything!  Right now we’re talking about everything from the projects and yarns, to the extra goodies Anne sends with each shipment, even the extra patterns she sometimes sends out as a surprise, as well as cyber cabana boys who we want to serve us drinks while we knit, and chocolate, and buying yarn, weather, vacations, kids, spouses, and a million other things.  It’s a real community.  At the beginning of each month, Kat and I put together a “spoiler thread,” and a “non-spoiler thread.”  So, people who want to be surprised on their shipments can stay surprised (like me!), and people who can’t STAND to not know (like Kat), can have a place to discuss the yarn and look at pictures as soon as the first shipments start arriving. The clubhouse is where you go if you need support finishing your project, or if you have questions about things.  We also organize fun swaps.  We do low-key, easy-going swaps for people who want to swap a skein and a ‘goodie.’  Helen from the UK puts her teacher skills to work and organizes us into partners.  We have such fun getting to know each other!  We also have some fun contests and prizes.

The gorgeous girls in my Knitspot posse have become my first stop in the morning with my latte. I check in to say hi & catch up on the news. I am coming to Rhinebeck this year & will get to meet some of these lovely ladies in real life!!

FIFC 2011 was my very first yarn club. Hazeline was a project of “firsts” – first circular needle project, first project with markers, first project with more than 100 stitches on the needle…

I adored the club so much I gifted my Mummy a FIFC 2012 membership for Mother’s Day this year. We will be doing this together. So lovely to look forward to!

From techmuse:

FIFC 2011 was my first yarn club ever–I was a little intimidated by the entire thing but bit the bullet and haven’t looked back since.

Every month has been fabulous. Anne has introduced me to colors and fibers that I would never have bought on my own (hazeline, for example, is the first shawl I ever completed–in a color I never would have bought–and I LOVE it). I even wore it to Rhinebeck last year and gots lots of compliments on it.

Every month brings a new yarn, something that I would never have bought on my own–and that I discover I need additional skeins of–in a variety of colors, because it’s so perfect. I finished 4 out of the 6 projects and am working on number 6 right now. I’ve never knit with handspun before–and it’s another wonderful FIFC experience.

The projects were just right for busy knitters. The early projects were big projects and, as the holidays got closer, the project included quick knits–for quick giving.

From guapakw:

My journey in BNK led me to knit my first pair of socks. I was so terrified of turning a heel and I did not think I could do it. Thanks to Anne’s awesome pattern and the encouragement from the very special forum on Ravelry, I did it!

From moderator KatJ:

My friends also live in the computer and through Anne’s clubs I have met so many wonderful, caring, and supportive knitters.  The clubhouse is my stress relief each day.  It’s my safe haven.  I don’t get this anywhere else.  I know people will understand and care.  And that’s huge in the kind of world in which we live today.

I’ve belonged to other clubs and have never had the connections that I get through Anne’s clubs.  Kim and I are all about having a good time.  We try to make sure the clubbies are enjoying themselves.  We don’t mind making fun of ourselves or letting our silly side show.  But when a clubbie needs us, or the group, we are there for them.  It’s obvious that this is a special club.  A club where people matter to us.  Not just a here’s your yarn and your pattern and have at it.  We’ll see you next shipment.  No, we’re there every day.  We talk about our projects, our families, recipes, our interests.  We manage to enable each other from time to time with our yarn stashes and acquisitions.  We worry when a clubbie goes MIA.  We will track them down and find out what’s up.

Kim and I read each and every message in the clubhouses.  The clubs are important to us.  The clubbies are really important to us.  We value each and every member.  And we thank Anne for the privilege of letting us moderate and be a part of the KS family.

—-

I hope this gives you a feel about how Anne has “a club like no other.” And the best members on the planet! In the words of kimkimkim, “When you sign up for FIFC, you’re not just getting exclusively dyed yarn and an exclusive Anne Hanson pattern, you’re also getting a few hundred friends who will make your day!”

To become an FIFC member, click here.