Two for one

You might want to go get a coffee for this one, since I’m going to try and do two events in one post so that I’m back to posting in real time (more or less) it’s just too weird to be writing about an event that happened two days ago instead of an event that happened last night so I’m taking this post to recoup, and writing about Atlanta and Annapolis even though I am now in Charlotte. (I’m lucky I know where I am…)

So, I arrived in Atlanta in the morning (the morning of the alarm incident) and dragged myself off the plane and went and stood in baggage claim along with a million other people because apparently it was “spring break”. I stood, and I stood and I stood and eventually, all hope died within me, as an hour had passed without any sign of my bag at all. I went and talked to the airline people, and they assured me that I should keep waiting, because of the spring break and one million travellers, and that another 30 minutes of standing in the Atlanta airport was prudent. I did so, but it was for nothing. I left, while the airline began to track it down. There was another flight from Lexington in two hours, they said, and my bag would undoubtedly be on that. I did the math. There was still a chance (by my reckoning, which was optimistic) that I would have my bag before the event, and that I could be clean and dressed nicely for the knitters of Atlanta. Alas, it was not to be, and I did go to the event in my travel clothes (after I had a little cry in the hotel room) and abandoned all hope of ever getting it back. (I figured that I’m moving so fast, from city to city on all different airlines, that if I didn’t get it back that day, it would just chase me forever.) I went, with my hair all weird (nothing to put in it) wearing the same clothes I’d been travelling in all week (not pretty) and I tried to be chipper. Once I got to Knitch, that was easy. Knitch, my friends, holds hell of a party.

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They did the thing at the Hilan Theatre, which is a very cool place and smells like cookies baking. (Anybody else notice that?) Knitch gave away a small fortune in prizes, had a very cool knit it, and the whole thing was a gas. I’m starting to adore Atlanta, and it’s all Kim’s fault.

Atlanta had very cute babies. This is baby Sydney and her mama Pixie Purls

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and this is Annie and Sari. (See? Very cute babies in Atlanta.)

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There was the first sock brigade: Elizabeth, Nada (it was her Birthday AND her first sock) Beverly, Laura and Andy.

(Click to embiggen these knitters.)

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Then there was Melissa’s second sock, which…. Well. Clearly she went a little over the top.

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I got to see Abby, who is the genius who designed our knitters without borders button (and pins)

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She brought Mr. Orange. (And she took a million pictures. A million.)

It was a brilliant event. Brilliant, and it’s all because the staff at Knitch are the nicest ever.

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I love those guys. Kim drove me around after so I could get some sock pictures. See what I found?

Wisteria and Azaleas.

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Atlanta isn’t having a winter. Clearly. The sock was astonished.

Event done, I went back to the hotel room and when I saw that I still had no suitcase, I just lay on the floor face down until it came. (That was around midnight, and you have never seen a woman happier to get her underpants.) Six hours later, I handed the bag right back to the same airline and went to Baltimore/ Annapolis.

I was not there long enough to get a sense of it, but I did figure out four things. It is in Maryland. Crab is big there. The water was Chesapeake Bay,

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and there are LOTS of knitters.

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Crazy. See those escalators? I think everyone there would agree that one of the coolest parts of that evening was watching unsuspecting non-knitters come up the escalator into that scene. It was endless entertainment.

There were, of course, babies, which you all know I love to no end. (I heard someone shush a happy baby at an event the other day, and I thought I might take a moment to mention that I never, ever mind happy baby noises at an event. A baby singing or babbling is just fine with me – and I think that most people would agree that a happy baby can be anywhere their mama is (especially if their mama is also their meal. Seems harsh to separate them when they need each other that way.) Naturally, if your baby is sad at an event that’s another story…but happy baby noises are just fine, and even pleasant.)

This is Jolene and Joe. (Jolene is an LLL Leader, just like I was)

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and this is four week old Raley and her mum Sarah. I put the knitting needle in Raleys hand.

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She held tight to it, even in her sleep.

Amy and Mama-e came to say hi!

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These are Annapolis’ 1st sock knitters: Trish, Kathleen, Lynne, Jessica and Chris. (Chris is totally going to be a hot commodity in the knitting market in about 10 years.)

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This, this is Bobby, who’s wife is Marianne. He just happened to be in the area and saw I was coming and scored her a book. Dude stayed for the whole talk and stood in line and held the sock. That, my friends, is a man who loves his wife.

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This is =Tamar. (She’s a regular in the comments, I thought you might enjoy seeing what she looks like as much as I did.)

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This is Jane. Jane is holding a 40 year old sock, knit by her.

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The mate wore out ,she says because she forgot the reinforcing thread in the heel and toe. A 40 year old first sock. How about that.

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This is Rhonda. I took her picture because I love her socks but I’m not telling you what it is until I buy some. (I don’t need you lot clearing it out.)

Behold the wonder that is Tola and Mike!

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I always enjoy their visits, and not just because they bring beer. (Although that’s really good.)

Trish brought a Maryland washcloth…

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and this –

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This is the Princess Colleen. Seven years old, already knitting hats on DPNs. Destined for greatness.

I saved the best for last. When I was growing up, my mum’s best friend was Anne Marie, and I played with her daughter Kimberly all the time. All the time. Even after they moved to the states we drove to Greensboro to see them sometimes, and I spent a summer with her in my teens, so I’ve always thought of Kimberly as my cousin. About 18 years ago I lost touch with Kimberly. She went her way, I went mine, and though I’ve (almost) always known where she was at because our Mum’s are always in touch I swear to you…

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I didn’t know she was in Baltimore. I just about swallowed my own tongue when I saw her. She happened to be shopping in the Borders that afternoon, saw a poster and stuck around. She doesn’t even knit. (Yet.) I recognised her right away, as I’m sure my brother and sister will. She looks just like herself – only older.

How about that. Kimberly.

It was fantastic.

(PS, no Mum, I’m not taller than Kimberly. I’m wearing my tall shoes like you told me to.)