Twists of Fate

I stopped by Cultured Purls yesterday to pick up a small bottle of Eucalan wool wash to send along with Ze Mohair Sweater. I mentioned that was why I was in the store, and the folks behind the counter insisted on seeing the sweater. So I ran back out to the car, and brought it inside, and maybe I’m all PMSing or whatever, but man.

I cried.

Most of the folks I know around me in RL don’t knit. They don’t spin either, and frankly my family thinks I’m insane. I’ve apparently gone mad and my stash is an indicator of my looniness. I know we all giggle at the Yarn Harlot’s tips on dealing with people like that, and they were funny. Until they happened to me, and now it’s not really that funny, and is mostly a source of sadness, because they don’t get it and make no effort to.

Anyway, these ladies know their knitting, and they were so kind. She pointed out how lovely the tension was throughout the entire sweater, and exclaimed over it being my first. She ran a finger over the decreasing at the yoke, and said it looked fabulous. She asked what kind of needles I used, and did I move from oh, a 15 to something smaller (which it does), and then beamed and said that must be how the sweater gets its shaping (she was right on). We giggled over the one sleeve where I didn’t join it to the body correctly (there’s a row of purl bumps on the outside), and how the recipient will always know which way to wear the sweater if she keeps that sleeve on the same side.

For all the keeping in touch we do online, I have very few people in my real life (or “meat space”, which is such a gross way to describe it) who know or appreciate knitting. I was totally taken off guard by this reaction yesterday. I didn’t even buy the yarn for this sweater in the store, though I have spent a goodly amount there and think their new space is absolutely gorgeous and I will be going back more often. But there she was, enthusing over a completed project, and I was so gratified that once I paid for my teeny bottle of wool wash, I went back out to my car and burst into tears.

The acknowledgement of the time, and effort, and, frankly, love that goes into making something by hand, by people who KNOW, and who do it themselves? Took me out at the knees. But in a really nice way.

Today, I need to finish brushing up my resume, and returning some calls, and then it’s time to scour the SSP yarn, and possibly put another fleece in to wash. Oh! The last one was actually a Cormo/Targhee cross fleece, and this one that’s about to get wet is the Polwarth. My bad. Same supplier, which is Nancy Ortmann (mtwool AT nemontel DOT net), and it’s fabulous. She’s out of fleeces for 2006, but just got some roving in, and will take reservations for 2007! [/pimping]