Hi, Jan,
Sorry I’ve been out of touch a bit. I traveled to Guelph (about an hour west of Toronto) for work last week, and between that and several special initiatives with June deadlines and the fact that it is performance appraisal time (I write and deliver 10, and I take it seriously), I have found scant blogging leisure.
I did find some knitterati, though. Susan, a friend via my work network and I dashed into the city to meet her stepdaughter, J, for dinner. We also made sure to see some yarn. Susan had a couple of suggestions, one being the Naked Sheep. I was delighted to see that my buddy Annie was teaching that night! I knew she was on an extended teaching tour but hadn’t put together that we’d be in the same city at the same time. Toronto traffic did us wrong and I only had time to run in and hug her quick before we had to go meet J, but it was so fun to see Annie’s look of surprise and, I think, delight.
Dinner with J was delightful and we lingered over Tibetan momos. It left us barely enough time to stop by Lettuce Knit for a chance to knit with some of the luminaries of our knitting era. Somewhere in this blur you might be able to spot S P-M’s curly hair and back in the corner, but out of sight, I think, is SW of Knitting Daily. I was a bit of a nervous dolt, and I probably seemed ridiculous, simultaneously trying to be nonchalant yet obviously being so danged chalant it was freakish. Still, the shop staff was totally welcoming and charming. I need to cure myself of being a knitting groupie - it isn’t self-respect building, really. And it probably intrudes on people’s private space. I should stick with those I know and love, like Annie, and all the rest of my hometown knitting gang.
During all of this, I have managed to make a little progress on the onesie I started about 2 weeks ago. It is going quickly enough, showing signs of what it will be when it is all grown, though not rapid-fire. It is neither a long term project nor a quickie.
Tomatoes are my long term garden projects this summer, and I have a few radishes that are coming right along and should be ready in a week or so. But for mid-range, I grow jalapeños - you can see what they are going to be very early, and you don’t have to wait forever for them to ripen. A lot like the onesie, I think this one could be ready in just a few more weeks.
Love,
Ellen
Jan and Ellen are identical twins who have always had an innate fashion sense. Crafting is an integral part of their lives and they stay stitched together sharing their love of knitting, family and community.
June 17th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
I’m very jealous of your opportunity to meet these folks…and to visit Naked Sheep and Lettuce Knit…both stores I’d like to see someday.
Did you know that you are mentioned and pictured in a recent post of Annie’s on her blog? Pretty soon TwinSetEllen will be knitterati herself!
Can you make another onesie in those colors big enough for me? And I’m jealous of the garden…again, moving mid-July means no garden for Jan.
June 19th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I had to laugh at your description of yourself as a knitting groupie! That’s exactly how I feel about Anne introducing me to S P-M at Sock Summit — Anne keeps telling me that famous knitters are people, too, and I know that she’s right, but I figure they must have so many importunate people coming up to them all the time that I hate to add to the number… And do you think non-knitters understand this at all?