Diane...I’m calling from the road...

As any good knitter should, one must pass on her knowledge [addiction] to others...if they will let her.

Well I found my knitting student [victim] at work, a lovely newbie (named J) who has been watching me knit for months and has decided to join in the fun.

J has been doing quite well on her scarf, just straight knitting and we both felt that she was ready to learn something new...the purl stitch.

This weekend J is going to a wedding in Regina and since she will be spending copious amounts of time in the car, why not knit, as I know I would if there was no fear of throwing up all over myself (damn car sickness).

So I was making a dishcloth and she felt ready for such a challenge.

I typed up the pattern for her; carefully providing explanation of all the abbreviations (I don’t want to scare my new knitting friend away now, I just found her).I presented it to her at lunch yesterday and gave her a crash course on the purl stitch. She seemed to take to it like a fish to water, but I remember my early knitting days and how once I was alone, with no one to guide me, I would quickly forget the stitch. To make things more complicated J had to learn the seed stitch for the border.

Later that night, I explained to Jerome that I was teaching J and he made the mistake of asking me about it. I went on and on about the stitches and how if this is done incorrectly how there can be a problem, and how to recognize the difference between knits and purls...then I looked at him...and his eyes were glazed over...”You lost me at hello” he quipped.

The next day I am at work, when the phone rings. I pick it up with my usual greeting.....

“Diane...[static in the background] I’m calling from the road...”

It was J...somewhere on the TransCanada Highway...my knitting friend was in trouble. J has fallen down the well and she needed help, wait a minute, does this make me Lassie in this scenerio?

We couldn’t stop laughing but managed to sort through her dilemma ( at least I hope we did).

Way to go J!

You aren’t going to let cellphone roaming fees and bad tower reception get in the way of you learning to knit!

I think I may have her hooked ... [evil grin]. As long as she doesn't call me at 3 in the morning...

Speaking of knitting...

My friend Liana turned forty this week and we had a surprise bday party for her last weekend. I wanted to make her a scarf...a lace scarf for her prezzie.

I have never made a lace scarf before; it’s just like a regular scarf but with holes in it, right? I gave myself three weeks, plenty of time to complete my mission, or so I thought...

Life has a way of getting IN the way of your knitting. Unexpected events happened, both positive and negative, and I was really pushing it to get this damn scarf done on time! Near the end, I was telling myself this is what it must be like to experience child birth! There is a lot of pain now, but once you see the finished product you forget all about the hardship.

It was,without a doubt, the hardest pattern I ever attempted. I kept making errors, pulling out rows and cursing. It was rather humbling and taught me I still have a lot to learn.

Liana’s scarf went everywhere with me:

To the hospital – “What are you knitting?” the nurse asked. “A lace scarf”, I replied. “Oh, I knit my husband a scarf once”, she continued “it took me two years”. “Does he wear it?” I asked. “No”, she stated.”We split up and I never gave it to him.”

Ummm...okay, how do I respond to this?

“Well,” not knowing what to say “At least you get to keep the scarf.”

I knit at work- I knit every day at work, people are used to it by now.

On a movie set- more about this in a later blog

On the bus- Oh yes, I managed to knit without puking. I think it was out of sheer mercy that the good Lord allowed this to happen.

In the end it was worth all the blood (no one died), sweat and tears for such a good friend who appreciated it immensely.

During the evening someone approached me, offering to pay me to make her one of my scarves.

Let’s see, it took about a billion hours, there are the psychiatric bills, shock therapy, not to mention the chronic night sweats; I graciously declined ( thinking “You can’t afford me sucker”).

So I did what any knitter would do, when they receive the ultimate form of flattery , by someone admiring your work so much that they want to throw cash at you to recreate it...

I offered to do it for free.....now who’s the sucker?