GOOGLE HANGOUT with Loveknitting

Max and Tanya ready to 'hangout'

The social media world is such an exciting place right now! With almost everyone I know snapping on Instagram, posting on Pinterest, sharing and journaling on Facebook, Twitter and Blogger it feels as though we have never been quite so intimately involved in each others lives. I am all
for it! On a personal level it means that I am only ever a snap or comment away from making contact with friends and family, but in terms of business (and more specifically our yarn business) it is invaluable in reaching out to our customers on a global level.

Little did I know when I agreed to take part in a Google Hangout with loveknitting, that I would be stepping into another social media side avenue. I know I thought (mistakenly) that perhaps I would be sat behind my computer, 'hanging out' digitally and invisibly, maybe answering questions and making comments in a forum style chat room. Oh how wrong I was! A Google Hangout is as far from invisible chatting as one can possibly get, being a live video stream with 'conference' facilities - where others are able to watch, interact and participate too!

So it was with a little trepidation that Tanya and I arrived at the loveknitting offices in Denmark Street yesterday, wondering what the afternoon had in store for us. We were well prepared with samples, swatches and Carly had forwarded us an idea of the sorts of questions she would be asking, but that didn't help with the nagging thoughts at the back of our minds that we would get tongue tied and forget how to speak!

The loveknitting conference room is filled with yarny delights!

The loveknitting team made us so welcome though, and after a tour of LK HQ we made our way into their lovely, airy conference room and settled down in front of a huge monitor ready to 'hangout'. It is always an unsettling experience to see or hear yourself on television I think, and seeing yourself in 'real time' is even odder, but Tanya and I soon eased into it with some gentle guidance from the very able Carly. We chatted, laughed a lot, I coughed a bit, showed some of our samples and I demonstrated one of my all time favourite techniques (yes, mattress stitch!), and before we had a chance to even think about the time, an hour of hanging out was done.

We can't ever resist a selfie - especially when we're on the tv!

It was only on the way back to the tube that I realised I had actually enjoyed the whole experience! I wasn't shaking or dry mouthed and I distinctly remember saying to Carly that we could always come along again when we launch some exciting new products in July, or even for a Christmas special . . .

The lovely Klara Kimono and my colourful Elk Cushion, oh and us!

If you'd like to see just exactly what our Goggle Hangout looked like, then you can see it all on Youtube here. And finally, we'd like to thank the amazing team at loveknitting for asking us to be a part of their first ever Google Hangout - it was super-good fun!

(posted by Max)