Knitterly Camaradarie

Ever since I discovered knitting blogs on the net I've read about and envied the experiences many bloggers post about - meeting other knitters at conferences or classes or book signings (or whatever, whenever), and the feeling of being part of a greater whole, a community of knitters that spans nearly every imaginable continuum. I've been impressed by the generous inclusiveness of this band of knitters from around the world, and also by the loving charitableness they embody.

Yesterday I experienced just a small smidgeon of that acceptance and rapport... DD and I were in search of a table-lamp-with-magnifier for my sewing table and she mentioned a really neat craft store west of town that would be sure to have a selection of such lamps. When we got there, alas, they no longer carried lamps/lighting devices, but (to my delighted amazement) they had a quite respectable yarn department! And, situated conveniently between the fabric area and the yarn area there was a table with inviting chairs, and sitting in one of those chairs was a lady...knitting!

One of the clerks had already struck up a conversation with me and had found out that I'm a knitter and had invited me to come to their monthly Yarn Yoga meetings (informal gatherings of knitters to gab, knit, share, enjoy refreshment, etc.), so when I sat down at the table, the Knitting Lady (Pam? - I'm really, really bad about names) and I began to chat. Her knitting project is a bag (to be felted) and we immediately began comparing notes re/ our felting experience (for both of us, not much). Both of the store clerks in the area drifted in and out of the conversation from time to time and it was one of the most pleasant and relaxing moments I've had with "strangers" for a very long time. (Among knitters there are no "strangers", I've decided.)

None of my friends are knitters... They're all special, wonderful, diamond-bright people, but...they're muggles. There! I've said it out loud. Sadly, all of my friends are part of the world of muggles. Some of them may have actually knit something during their life-times, but they're not (obsessed with yarn) knitters. When I mention something I've read or run across from reading knit blogs, they all cock their heads and get one of those here-she-goes-again looks on their faces. Some of them even roll their eyes and mutter "Those knit bloggers. Again!" (But, at least they know about blogs - I've made sure of that.)

A wonderful day!

And, just now, I figured out how to upload pics from my new camera (ta da!). Anthrax, one of our cats, lounging on my little TV table and progress - as of last night - of a new sock. I LOVE this yarn! It's schoeller stahl Fortissima Colori 6-fach Socka Color #9048 and I bought it here, just like the sock yarn of my generic-toe-up-Wendy-Feather-and-Fan socks mentioned in one of my last posts. (I'd take a pic of them for the blog, but I've been wearing them ever since I got sock #2 off the needles - today they go in the wash, and then I'll get a pic.) BTW we didn't name the cat - she is an "inherited" cat, from one of our almost-son-in-laws and came with name firmly in place. DH calls her "The Plague Cat". She is my sweet, sweet cuddle cat - especially at night when her place of preference is as-close-to-Mom's-face-as-possible.

My new camera was an impulse buy at Radio Shack. I went there just to get some ear-buds for the (cast-off) MP3 player DD gave to me. (She's got a postage-stamp-sized iPod now.) And I came out of the store with a Kodak EasyShare C643 camera. In my defense, it was on special. And the store manager was a cutie-patootie (and, a great salesman, DH pointed out later). Said camera has an IQ roughly 100 times greater than mine. :-) But, doesn't she take great pictures? (even if I get them slightly out of focus)