I love to buy yarn when we go on vacation. I have a history of where I've been in what I wear. We were in Savannah, Georgia walking through the beautiful shops along the bluff when I saw this sweater. Yowee! Zowee! I saw this and thought, "I have to make this!" A sweater that is a map of the world! How cool is that?!?! I bought the kit and was on my way. At the time I didn't really get Intarsia so I taught myself and struggled through. I learned about that important twist when you change yarn so you don't have holes. I also learned the importance to not pulling the yarn tight behind the stitches. It was a fun and valuable experience.
I was facilitating a strategic plan for St Joseph's Academy and decided I would wear my globe sweater. Map of the world; working with educators; it all just seemed to fit. I was standing in front of the group during a break when this smiling person raced up and said, "Did you knit that?" That was the beginning of a long and wonderful friendship. I treasure my relationship with my knitting buddy Linda Kaufman. We share a love of expensive yarn, good wine and laughter. For many years, we knit together once a week. Sometimes it was just the two of us and sometimes Cheryl Yeutter (adorable Edith Anne's grandmother) and her mother joined us. On our first yarn tour we visited seven new LYS's. We were very punchy when we got home; kind of drunk on beautiful yarn. Linda and I knit our Crayon Box jackets together and a gorgeous sweater called Yokohama jacket out of my favorite Kureyon. We have knit for each other. Linda knit an amazing stash buster sweater for me with yarn from her Mom's stash which I treasure. I made Linda a Jan Bag and a Lucy Neatby's Bubble scarf. We walk into a yarn shop and pick out yarn for each other. I can't wait for Linda to retire so we can go to Stitches Midwest and the fall knitting retreat in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. Linda puts the social in social knitting.
So I toast great friends and great patterns. May we always have plenty of both.