A Prize and a Decision...Maybe

So I frequently reference Ravelry in my posts and in particular a group called Sock Knitters Anonymous. I first wrote about this group in June 2010, the aim, for me, of joining the group was to use up my sock yarn. Except I have not been successful as the group introduced me to many more manufacturers and dyers of sock yarn.

Finally, after 2 1/2 years, I won a prize. Prizes are awarded on a random basis as long as each participant has followed the rules for the sock design and cast on and cast off info. My prize was a project bag.

Which I am now using for socks.

The decision now is whether to continue in the group. One of the incentives for keeping up with the group was the possibility of winning a prize and now I have, although previously winning does not preclude you from winning again. At the beginning of the year, I wrote that I wanted to make a dent in the stash which includes sock yarn. But do I want to continue with the challenges that the group sets? And even if the answer to that is yes, do I want to continue with the group? As with any group, the dynamics change as participation changes although there is a core of regulars and all but two of the moderators have been moderating since I have been in the group but were not the original "founders" of the group. I am now getting the impression that one of the moderators is fed up with the group and injudiciously writes comments that should be left unsaid. Lately the comments have been about the challenge and that certain members are just knitting any old pattern that fits that month's challenge. This had me concerned as previously it had been said that only the individual knew what their challenge was. For me it was using up my yarn. But as these comments were being made more often I was worried that a moderator would decide my choice of pattern was not a challenge for me. Of course there started to be comments about what constituted a challenge and how could the moderators say what was a challenge for one person. This morphed into a separate discussion about what changes could be made to make it easier to follow the rules etc and some of the replies just made me laugh. There was the "how dare you even suggest things need changing" post and the "the moderators are mean" post and after a few days the thread was shut down because one person went too far. And then someone started a new thread asking why the original had closed down! Never a dull moment with sock knitters.

The sniping in itself doesn't bother me too much because the internet is always a place where people are rude but do I want to continue with a worry that my choice is not a challenge? For once I had my next month's choice of pattern and yarn picked out in advance, although that is no guarantee that I will not change my mind after starting. So I will join in for February and see how the group settles down.