Yarn: Lisa Souza‘s Mardi Gras in merino, a gift from my Purlescence friends’ gift basket when I was so ill in January. Now I finally get to play with it. My Carlsbad Scarf is a good pattern for showing off a busy colorway.
Thursday evening I ran off by myself to the once-a-month South Bay Knitters’ meeting at Green Planet Yarn down in Campbell.
Where half the room burst into clapping when I walked in, and the other half had no idea why I hadn’t been there since October. I explained. I got quite a few hugs, and Beth, the store owner, couldn’t get over how good I looked–the best she’d ever seen me, she said.
But I didn’t buy her rosewood needles over there that were calling to me. I was trying to be frugal. (We won’t mention that silk cashmere that did come home.)
Now, the last time that Stephanie Pearl-McPhee was in northern California, Jasmin and (formerly) no-blog Rachel (go see her new dress!) and I road-tripped together to see her. I took my knitting project and a backup, just in case; it was going to be a long day.
The bag with that backup had in it my pair of Holz and Stein rosewood size 5.5 mm (US 9) I’d used for all the size 9 projects in my book. It was a particularly beautiful pair of needles, made from the leftover wood from making musical instruments, a needle not sold in the US anymore, and that particular pair had been much loved for many years.
And I never saw it again.
It still hurts.
Coming home, it having been a long and very busy day, I found myself suddenly almost doubling over in pain and nausea–only for about ten seconds, but it was a complete throwback that told me to definitely take it easy.
So of course today, feeling well and having an hour to myself, because I could and in reaction to that episode, WHILE I could, (after all, you never know), I ran back to that shop to buy those needles. I did like the grain. I’m going to at least give them a try.
Where Beth again couldn’t get over just how very well I looked. And you know? I realized on my way home, it’s a comfort to be told that. Her delight may have been the biggest reason of all why I decided to try out her needles and made the trip back down there. Because now I will always associate them with her caring.