Spurred by the fun I had last Friday at the booklaunch and knitters pubnight, I decided I’d break out of my solitary knitter’s shell once again and go out to Lettuce Knit‘s knitnight.
Of course, this meant I spent the better part of yesterday fretting: Should I bake something for the knitters? What should I wear for the knitters? What will the knitters think of me? Then I realized that a) “the knitters” had been really friendly on Friday and b) no one was making me go but myself. So I psyched myself up and headed out.
I arrived around 7:15 (ok, so I left with plenty of walking-time, and may have wandered around some Chinese import stores on Spadina so as not to be unfashionably early), and beheld an already-sizable crowd of women sitting outside the store on folding chairs and knitting (of course). I awkwardly ventured into the circle of chairs, took a seat (with empty chairs on either side of me – why do I isolate myself on reflex?), and took out my knitting (a Sea Silk shawl: I’ll blog about it later).
“You know,” I said to myself, “at least if no one’s talking to you, you still have something to do!”
But I wasn’t left solitary for long. The first friendly knitter was none other than Amy, of Knitty fame! Maybe it was the Sea Silk, but she was approachable and engaging and didn’t seem to think I was a big dork. Soon Andrea (a cousin of Stephanie‘s, and shockingly blogless!) came along and took a chair nearby, and we chatted a while in shared newbieness. As the evening went on I met many others*! ED: There was another Emily, of Wool Works!
I was happy to see that Danielle knits her socks two-at-once like me, for the same reasons, and strangely enough in the same Sea Wool colourway as my Elfine’s (though her skien has a much stronger pink than mine had). Though I’d been so good at avoiding the store’s yarny temptations up to that point, as soon as she said “come and see x” I was out of my seat, and before I knew it we were petting skeins of cashmere! Later Aven talked with me about the pros and cons of the academic world while her adorable son slept, and gave me some good things to think about.
I knit, and watched others knit. I saw mothers and mothers-to-be talk about their children, and be happily out on their own for a bit (wow, did the maternal clock start ticking loudly there!). I heard people swap the names of patterns and yarns, knowing that everyone spoke the same language. I learned that there is an inexplicable link between the knitnight and burritos. I managed to not buy yarn, though I was sorely tempted. I had a good time.
I really hope I wasn’t babbling too much. I hope that I didn’t drop a stitch. I hope they welcome me back next week, because I think I’m going to be out again. I may even get a burrito, or some yarn.
As I was walking home, I thought to myself,
“Well, it was a bit stressful, but good to meet new people. It’s not that late yet, I can go home, and still have some time to do something relaxing before bed.
“Like knitting….”
*Apologies for all whose names have gone unremembered and blogs that have gone unlinked!
Aemmeleia's Ephemera 