Small World

Yesterday I went to a charity knitting event at a local yarn shop. As each person walked in, she was handed a small ball of yarn and a pattern for a preemie hat (we brought our own knitting needles and crochet hooks). We sat around talking, knitting and munching on the snacks that were provided. Here are a couple things I overheard:

On perfectionism ...
Knitter A: Oh, no! I’m one row off [in sewing up the hat]. Should I pull it out and redo it?

Knitter B: I was a preemie and I don’t remember what they put on my head. Only a knitter would notice that mistake.

On UFOs...
Knitter C: There’s a sweater I started making for my son when he was ten years old. He’s now in college and it’s still not finished.

Knitter D: I can do you one better than that. I have a sweater I never finished for my husband and he‘s been dead 13 years!

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One hour before the event was over there was a contest (which was really a fashion show considering almost everyone who entered won gift certificates). When it was over I chatted with the two women who were seated on either side of me. They mentioned Ravelry and I told them that until recently I thought one had to have a knitting blog in order to qualify for Ravelry. Then one said, “My sister and I have a blog together.” Just two days before I had been reading a blog written by two sisters. It was all so fresh in my mind that I remembered their names. “Are you Cici and CJ?” Yes, they were! I was so excited. I felt as if I should get their autographs or something. It was like bumping into someone whom you previously only knew from television.

Then they asked if I had a blog and what was the address. I told them the address, but since I know it sounds quite foreign, I offered to write it down. A quarter of an hour later I hunted down a pen and wrote the address down for them. When Cici read it her eyes became wide. “I was just reading your blog this morning! I left a comment on it.” Then turning to CJ she said, “Her blog is the one I was telling you about on the way over here!” For a second I had trouble believing her, but then she told me things she had read on my blog and I was blown away. “We should get your autograph!” They remind me of my aunts. When I was leaving I wanted to give them each a hug, but I didn’t want to weird them out, so I didn’t.

In the end the event netted over 30 preemie hats to be donated to the neonatal unit of a local hospital, but meeting Cici and CJ was the coolest thing to come out of it. I was really wishing my friend Cabbie had been there (she had to work) because she’s the only one who would fully understand the total coolness of this meeting.