Community by Mary Glendenning

Our cottage in Canada is near the village of Chaffey’s Locks, Ontario, Canada.  Like many resort towns in the U.S, the winter population is probably somewhere around one hundred people.  In the summer, all the cottagers and tourists arrive and the population swells.

My in-laws had the cottage built in the 1970s.  At that time a number of other military families also built cottages in the area.  When I started coming to the cottage in the 1980’s we hung out with all the children of the original owners.  Since then a new generation of grandchildren have arrived and are now hanging out together “at the lake”. 

This year my very dear friend, Elly Weinel from the Fiber Factory in Mesa spent two weeks with me here at the cottage.  As is typical at the cottage, we would get last minute invites for dinner or drinks and had people over here.  Elly commented to me what a wonderful sense of community was here at Chaffey’s Locks.  Everyone knows everyone else and everyone is very friendly.  We all look out for each other and can’t wait until next summer to get together again.

This sense of community also exists with knitting.  When I arrived at the lake in June I immediately got together with my knitting friends.  Elly and I spent a few Monday afternoons spinning at a little spinning group.  I also visited a friend and neighbor that has an amazing weaving studio and a bought myself a 32” Leclerc 4 harness loom to use here next summer. 

I hope to start a knitting group next year and join a few of the local guilds.  I discovered a new yarn store called Janie H Knits and got some great Canadian and locally made alpaca.  Like so many knitting stores I was welcomed with open arms and encouraged to keep in touch over the winter.  There may even be a chance of my teaching next summer, we will see.

It never ceases to amaze me how wonderful other knitters are.  How kind and generous they are with their time and expertise and how they always welcome someone new.  Here’s to our great community of knitters.  Tell me about your community of knitters.   

Regards,

Mary Glendinning

OPYF