Purlescence
Tuesday August 25th 2009, 5:30 pm
Filed under: Friends,LYS

I had an appointment today with my cardiologist to ask questions about my blood pressure med; everything’s fine, and no, this wasn’t the Thursday post-op. Routine stuff.

I got there a little early for a doctor who is  always late because he takes the time to listen to his patients, which I like, and pulled out needles and the purple baby alpaca I’d grabbed on my way out the door.  I’d had a project already started to try to get done by Thursday, but somehow it just..wasn’t..it. But purple was. So.

Doodling around, let’s see, cast on 33, take it from there, I was several inches into it, wearing the shawl on the cover of my book, wearing the socks that Michelle knit me, when another woman not much older than me checked in. (Wait, I’m 50, I might look that old too… I tend to forget that…) Now, when you’re sitting in cardiology, it’s fairly striking when someone younger than the average clientele comes in–but it was my knitting she was drawn to as she sat down by me.

On a whim I’d brought mine in a Purlescence bag rather than one of my knitting bags.  She told me she was a knitter too. She hadn’t heard of that store and wanted to know what the place was like.

My mind glanced briefly back towards the owner of another shop who’d once asked me, “How are you?” rather warily as I’d walked in her door.  Someone who has seemed to me fearful of what life might be capable of: who, a few months before that moment, had suddenly come upon me waiting at the elevator at Stitches in a wheelchair and with no preliminary conversation, had simply exclaimed, “It’s not fair!” like a small child and had rushed away while I was going, huh?

“Do you want to know?” I shot back.

“No.”

Well, that’s honest, I thought, and answered, truthfully on the non-health side of things, “I’m fine.”

Purlescence, though…  (Here’s a half skein of the Sea Silk in Glacier I bought there last week. The dark line lower right is just shadowing from the chair behind the scarf.)

Coming back to the moment, I told my fellow patient, “They have a great selection. And also this: I had a shawl on display there, and came in asking to have it back after my daughter-in-law’s uncle had a brain tumor and went into a coma; I wanted to get one to his wife quickly.

Whereupon Kaye, one of the owners, not only gave it to me, she took an expensive, beautiful, handmade shawl pin, put it in my hands, wrapped my fingers around it, and asked me to give it to Barbara too. Someone she had never even heard of before.”

The woman went, wow.

And then I told her, “And last January I was in the hospital. The owners of Purlescence gifted me with two skeins of a buffalo-blend yarn, which cost something like $50 apiece, as a get-well card.”

Her eyes got even bigger.

“They are NICE people,” I told her.  “Just the best.”

That being true, I thought I would repeat here what I told my fellow knitter in that waiting room today. I wish that all yarn stores could be like the one that I get to go to.  I know how lucky I am.

I could have gone on and on about how they attract good people like themselves, (that’s just for a start), but my name was called.

I so hope that woman shows up at Purlescence sometime when I’m there!  She would fit right in.

To Nathania, Sandi, and Kaye: you create much good in this world. I am blessed to know you and have you nearby.  I just wanted to say publicly, thank you.


13 Comments so far
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I’ve been to many yarn shops all over the country and Purlescense is quite unique. It’s a special store that goes beyond just yarn. I look forward to going back next Stitches.

Comment by Michelle 08.25.09 @ 5:56 pm

It is such blessing to have such caring people surrounding & supporting you. Especially when they also support a thriving yarn habit 🙂

Comment by TripletMom 08.25.09 @ 7:00 pm

It’s good to know that you are in good hands – both medical and fiber. 🙂

Comment by Barbara-Kay 08.25.09 @ 7:13 pm

Hear hear! Hooray for a wonderful LYS — I have one like that, too, so I know what a gift that is 🙂

Comment by Jocelyn 08.25.09 @ 8:07 pm

Awww…!

You’re a blessing in my life, that’s for sure. Even though I’ve been a hermit and haven’t seen you in way too long! Must do something about that.

Comment by (formerly) no-blog-rachel 08.25.09 @ 8:14 pm

Look – purple yarn! They certainly attract some of the nicest people. You, for instance!

Comment by Kathy in San Jose 08.25.09 @ 8:55 pm

They sound very nice. I love your purple yarn.

Comment by Henya 08.25.09 @ 10:36 pm

Seeing that Sea Silk in Glacier in two posts is a real treat. Aren’t we fortunate to know such really nice people!

Comment by sherry in idaho 08.26.09 @ 1:35 am

I hope to feel such a sentiment of belonging as you do, someday. I think I have found an LYS that has that potential. Time will tell…

Please don’t laugh but the Sea Silk Glacier looks like gold. The top of it shining mostly. That precious.

Here’s to a long, healthy and prosperous life for Purlescence and the people who make it such a warm and positive place to be at (though I doubt I will never set foot there)! 🙂

Comment by Suzanne in Mtl 08.26.09 @ 5:26 am

You know… I learned with my back not to ask how someone is unless I mean it. And when I get the “Hi, how are you?” I generally say “okay” whether I am or not. Those who know me follow up with another question, and the “just being polite” folks are content.

We should all have such a yarn shop in our lives!

Comment by Channon 08.26.09 @ 6:09 am

They are just totally the best, aren’t they? I <3 them so much!!! 🙂

Comment by Romi 08.26.09 @ 10:02 am

Like attracts like, dahling. 🙂 I just smiled the biggest smile of my LIFE.

Comment by Jasmin 08.26.09 @ 10:47 am

I totally agree. The shop I consider ‘my lys’ is more than an hour from my house, and I seldom get there. But she’s who I call when I want to order something she carries, and she is also available to answer my questions.
A shop which is the next town over ignored me completely, asking OSCAR if he needed help. I was in my wheelchair, and totally hemmed in by their obnoxious hanging displays.
When I approached them with a question, they told me what I wanted was in the back room, and refused to get it for me.
Never again will I darken their door.

Comment by Diana Troldahl 08.26.09 @ 1:14 pm



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