Chickenheads Knit: Cast of Characters

Hi there and welcome to Chickenheads Knit.

Some background: I am part of a knitting group that has met every Tuesday night since March 2008. This blog is an attempt to capture the essence of how this random grouping of seven women - two in their 20s, two in their 30s, and three in their 50s - somehow managed to turn into family.

*For info on the cute knitted chicken in the picture, scroll to the bottom for a link.

My name is DatingTrooper, and I am also the author of Dating is Warfare. If you read that blog, you probably have already read a bit about the Chickenheads - that's what I call our knitting group. Actually, that's what my boyfriend Wine Guy calls us because when we all get in the same room we end up sounding like a bunch of squawking chickens (bock, bock, BOCK). His famous quote, "I don't understand how you can all understand each other when everyone's talking at the same time." Yeah, he pretty much nailed it.

To tell you the truth, I usually get a headache about three hours into knitting night. Which is also exactly when it's time to go home -- so it's perfect. But those first three hours are what I suspect it feels like to sit in a room full of your sisters - if you actually had a good childhood and generally like each other. You chat, you tease, you are totally crude and inappropriate, and you laugh with and at each other. But no matter what happens, deep down you know you can trust each other and are rooting for each other every knit and every purl. So, for me anyway, it really does feel like family - or what I'd like to think it is anyway.

I've warned my fellow Chickenheads that I am starting this blog and they all say, "Go for it." Let's just hope they aren't like real sisters that get all pissed off and bitchy when they read something they don't like:-). Let the games begin.

Cast of Characters (more at original Chickenheads post)

DT (me) - 36, living with Wine Guy, unmarried but wants to be - yesterday. Started knitting on the first night of knitting group, March 2008.

BigSis - 50, single divorced mom with two teenage kids, just started dating for first time in many years and is acting like a giddy teenager. Started knitting about one week before I did.

Obamette (originally named Spunky in my first Chickenhead post but, now that I know her, I must change it) - 50ish, longtime friend of Big Sis, disgustingly happily married with two teenage boys. Started knitting again at knitting group, but quickly remembered what her grandmother taught her as a little girl.

Miss Sunshine - 20s, Big Sis's niece, has had the same semi-mysterious boyfriend since high school. Been knitting for a few years and is certifiably insane about it (and musicals).

Rugby - 30s, Miss Sunshine's coworker, recently married and endlessly knitting baby blankets for her friends - and I think it's getting old for her. Been knitting for years and is quietly expert about it.

Bubbles (formerly called Crafty, but now that I know her I have to call her this instead) - 20s, Miss Sunshine's friend from high school, happily lives at home with her parents and younger sisters, has had an "older" boyfriend (he's 30) for years, but he lives in LA and she is not so patiently waiting for him to get on with it. The most expert knitter of the group, she recently purchased her own spinning wheel and is taking a long-anticipated "vacation" next month to attend a knitting convention in San Jose. She fixes just about every knitting mistake I make and I worship her for it.

CertainT - 50s, longtime friend of Big Sis, married with three grown sons. She hosts knitting night every week and every time her husband comes home, he walks across the room, leans down, and gives her a kiss hello. Every. Single. Damn. Sweet. Time. She's been knitting since the group started, and quite possibly before.

So that's us. I know it sounds terribly "chick lit" cliche. And sometimes it feels it. But I'd like to think that we talk about our bathroom habits and other disgusting things enough to disqualify us. My plan is to give brief summaries of what we covered in each week's group (or at least the most entertaining stuff). I'll try to leave it as poop-free as possible. But as my Chickenheads know, if I'm around, be prepared for the worst.

Bock, bock.

*** For those of you correctly admiring the chicken in the photo above, I apologzie for not giving it the proper credit - I wish it was my work! The truth is, I forgot where I found the picture so long ago. Alas, I found it again and it is the adorable work of Beth who writes about it in her blog Loxosceles, here. Perhaps I will tackle it soon as a group mascot.