Women's* Rope Group - Hitchin' Bitches
Sep. 9th, 2013 03:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beta_vulgarisYesterday I went to a new rope bondage group that's starting up here in town. It's a local chapter of Hitchin' Bitches.
Here's the blurb about the group:
It was held at a private home over on the west side of town. There were about 19 people who showed up, a few of whom were experienced and most of whom were about where I'm at--started out bottoming and now hoping to learn topping.
It was a really big group and I knew a couple of people, but nobody I was super close to was there so I was a bit of a wallflower. There was one woman sitting next to me who basically made me be friends with her, which I appreciated :)
We passed around a bunch of different kinds of rope and discussed the pros and cons of each of them. I'm still pretty happy with my commitment to natural fibers--nylon etc make me unhappy. One of the people leading the group, who is a friend of one of my lovers and his primary partner, was Like Me in that she loooooooves super scratchy itchy rope. She was gushing about a couple of different kinds, esp coconut, so I may have to get some of that :) I think I also need a few shorter pieces of hemp.
We also went over safety shears and the leaders of the group showed off their seatbelt cutters/gutting hooks, which are designed to be reasonably safe for the user but quick. I might want one of those b/c so far I haven't found any safety shears that feel super sturdy to me, plus these had the added benefit of being tiny.
One of the people there was just visiting her partner from D.C., and she is like a complete badass at shibari, traveling to London and Japan to lead workshops and stuff. She was very opinionated and knowlegeable. She ended up demonstrating a hojojutsu tie, because people were curious, which is basically a tie that involves all the things you DON'T want to do in most other forms of bondage.
She also demonstrated a basic single-column cuff, and showed how to build off that in a couple of ways and how this tie is a good anchor because it doesn't slip, etc.
I came home and practiced those cuff ties on my leg and it was great. I feel really hopeful that this will be a learning/friendly environment that I don't feel super creeped out by, locally. I'm looking forward to next month's!
Here's the blurb about the group:
This is a peer-to-peer learning and discussion group for female-identified rope tops and riggers in and around [my city].
Hitchin' Bitches began in late 2011 in London and now local chapters are being created in multiple countries. Hitchin' Bitches seeks to provide a relaxed and comfortable space to help women feel confident to explore rope. All skill levels are welcome. We can share ideas for tying ourselves, men, bottoms with limited mobility, and any other topics relevant to our group's needs. Hitchin' Bitches does not replace Show Me the Ropes or other local rope events. We encourage participation in those groups as well!
You can bring a rope bottom of any gender, as long as this person understands and respects this group is for female tops.
If you are new and have questions, feel free to message [group organizer].
We welcome all women who live full time as women, MtF, FtM, genderqueer, and intersexed persons who feel that they still have links to women's communities.
It was held at a private home over on the west side of town. There were about 19 people who showed up, a few of whom were experienced and most of whom were about where I'm at--started out bottoming and now hoping to learn topping.
It was a really big group and I knew a couple of people, but nobody I was super close to was there so I was a bit of a wallflower. There was one woman sitting next to me who basically made me be friends with her, which I appreciated :)
We passed around a bunch of different kinds of rope and discussed the pros and cons of each of them. I'm still pretty happy with my commitment to natural fibers--nylon etc make me unhappy. One of the people leading the group, who is a friend of one of my lovers and his primary partner, was Like Me in that she loooooooves super scratchy itchy rope. She was gushing about a couple of different kinds, esp coconut, so I may have to get some of that :) I think I also need a few shorter pieces of hemp.
We also went over safety shears and the leaders of the group showed off their seatbelt cutters/gutting hooks, which are designed to be reasonably safe for the user but quick. I might want one of those b/c so far I haven't found any safety shears that feel super sturdy to me, plus these had the added benefit of being tiny.
One of the people there was just visiting her partner from D.C., and she is like a complete badass at shibari, traveling to London and Japan to lead workshops and stuff. She was very opinionated and knowlegeable. She ended up demonstrating a hojojutsu tie, because people were curious, which is basically a tie that involves all the things you DON'T want to do in most other forms of bondage.
She also demonstrated a basic single-column cuff, and showed how to build off that in a couple of ways and how this tie is a good anchor because it doesn't slip, etc.
I came home and practiced those cuff ties on my leg and it was great. I feel really hopeful that this will be a learning/friendly environment that I don't feel super creeped out by, locally. I'm looking forward to next month's!
