I have been craving social knitting. I found out on my first visit there is social knitting happening at the big table every day at Knit 'N Purl. I picked up my zigzag afghan and off I went.
Was it only 17 days ago that we were all packed and on our way to Sunset Beach? This beautiful zigzag afghan made out of the reclaimed Noro Silk Garden has been my "go to" car knitting for quite a while. Maybe I'll finish it while we're here. This hasn't been the normal Sunset Beach visit. For the second year, Mom decided not to come. I miss her but I know she's being looked after by many friends. We also spent two intense weeks looking for a condo. We made an offer, it was accepted, now off we go. I must admit that condo viewing, inspections, talking to lenders, etc. has taken considerable time away from what we usually do. I haven't golfed yet and I've only been to Knit 'N Purl twice, once for a very short visit and the second visit is the subject of this story. My first short visit was Friday January 6. I walked in and heard this lilting voice say, "You're back." There was Molly, one of my very favorite LYS people. I guess that says a lot about how often I go in if Molly remembers me after a year of being away. It made me feel very special, kind of like I live here and had just been on vacation and returned home. I was looking for knitting graph paper. I am going to be working on a project that will blow your mind, but I'll tell you about that when I have it under way. I didn't buy much but saw this. . . Knitter's Magazine will be waiting for me when I get home but I couldn't wait! I took one look at the scarf on the cover and said, "WOWIE! ZOWIE! If that's what on the cover, what must be inside?!?!?!" Knitter's seldom disappoints. There is always at least one thing that makes me salivate, gets my juices flowing, takes my breath away. This one happened to have three things. This scarf came first. It is made with Zauberball 100 and it will be mine. I decided to wait for my second visit to get my yarn at Knit 'N Purl. I have another pattern that needs Zauberball and here it is. This is a pattern that the Ever-Creative Ellen from Earthfaire sent in one of the emails that keeps me 12 steps behind the knitting queue. Just when I think I'm on a roll and might get caught up, I get an Earthfaire email and see something I must have. Dangerous! You must admit this is a stunner. This calls for Zauberball Crazy in Tropical Fish. I decided to keep both purchases for my next visit to Knit "N Purl. I have been craving social knitting. I found out on my first visit there is social knitting happening at the big table every day at Knit 'N Purl. I picked up my zigzag afghan and off I went. I just wanted you to see how far I've gotten. Can you see the middle of the cake isn't solid any more? I took this because I can easily talk and knit at the same time. The Parallax scarf requires more concentration than I wanted to give in a social knitting context. Is there anything more welcoming than a table full of knitters? There is no such thing as a stranger at a table of knitters. Some of the knitters were Knit 'N Purl workers, some were people like me and one was a Knit 'N Purl worker on her day off. One woman's grand babies live in the Detroit area. The whole time I was there, women were coming in to look at yarn. They all had a smile on their face as soon as they opened the door. For some, it was their first time at Knit 'N Purl while for others it was a return trip. Remember the old potato chip slogan, "I bet you can't eat just one?" I think the Knit 'N Purl slogan should be, "I bet you can't come in just once." Because once you walk in the door you are hooked for life. You only have at your finger tips yarns from around the world. It is like having a geography lesson to read the labels of the skeins. I sat down and was immediately enveloped in the warmth of the knitter's hug. You enter the circle and you become a part. This severed head (as Melissa at Ann's By Design would call it) kept catching my eye and giving me a start. Doesn't she look real? The conversation flowed from one topic to another, from one person to another. Then there were those luscious periods of contented silence. I felt like a person in the dessert who was given a bottle of ice cold water. This was exactly what I was looking for. I knew I missed the camaraderie of social knitting, I just didn't realize how much. Look what I found hidden away! A woman working on needlepoint in the peace and quiet of her own little space. To her right was a woman sitting on a love seat reading a knitting book. Look what else I found! A whole big rack of mini skeins. Beautiful colors in small packages. I learned that today wasn't about buying. It was about fellowship, companionship, a shared passion and a kindred spirit. I went away very happy but will come back to buy. Today I discovered that Knit 'N Purl is my knitting home away from home.
2 Comments
Kathleen
1/22/2017 09:05:32 am
so glad you had a nice time at Knit 'n Purl. It was a pleasure to meet you and I hope to see you there again more often now that you have a condo to come down to.
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Jan Parson
1/25/2017 05:31:15 am
Thank you for the kind words. For a few months each year, Knit 'N Purl will be my LYS. The more I visit KNP, the more I appreciate the staff and the fabulous choices.
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jan parsonThis blog is dedicated to Mary Helen Growt my first knitting teacher and the woman who changed my life. The mission of Knitting: A Love Story is to preserve, share and promote the love of knitting. Archives
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