Dudes. That was a bit much. There really isn’t ever going to be enough time to talk about everything that has happened since Thursday, and I’m officially giving up. I’ve been sitting here thinking (in as much as I am capable of thought, so entirely tired am I) of how to weave the last several days into a reasonable story, and it just won’t come together – so I’m not even going to try. I’m just going to toss it out there and let it be out there.
Thursday:
Somewhat caffeinated (but not enough, by now there could never be enough) I arrive in Jacksonville and am stunned to discover that this is where the warm went. I check into my room at the hotel and lie face down on the bed until it’s time to get up and go see the Jacksonville knitters. (Note to self. Interesting that this is where the warm is and that there are still this many knitters here. Proof of knitting’s appeal. These people do not need to be warm and are knitting anyway.)
I see cute babies and young knitters, this is Samina (from the comments) and Pete, and Kathy and Sam and Sydney and Channing (who is so totally an Annabelle – if you’ve read the new book. I’m surprised the picture of her isn’t totally blurry – this is a fast moving kid.)
There were first sock knitters aplenty, like Mary, Sara, Chris, and Lori. (You will note that there appears to be a Jacksonville outbreak of tiny sock disease.)
Kimber made signs, and lots of knitters signed one of them and I got to take it home! ( That’s Tricia helping her hold them.)
Corrina felt badly that her friends Kathy and Chris couldn’t come. So she brought them (sort of.)
Carol brought me a washcloth, and Nikki brought Erin’s washcloth. (Gotta love that team playing.)
and Patti brought me a picture of the baptism gown that she knit in only two weeks. TWO Weeks. Boggles the mind when knitters pull of this crazy stuff.
I did not ask her what those two weeks were like. We all know.
It was a great stop, and Kathe and her crew did a great job.
Friday.
I make my way to Philadelphia, where Juno picks me up at the airport, and then we had salad (bought danskos, which makes me very happy because I have been wanting some) and began the 2.5 hour drive to Rhinebeck.
Six hours later, after several navigational mishaps, traffic that we shall never speak of again and an entirely bizarre experience or ten – during which it became really, really clear that we were on a voyage of the damned….
We arrived at Rhinebeck.
Saturday/ Sunday:
I revel in the glory that is Rhinebeck, and bring you back pictures. They are bad pictures mostly, but I was very tired and the wool fumes are dangerous and influence my skills. They are also very bad pictures, because although I deeply regret being forced to admit that I am this sort of person, I have lost the piece of paper on which I wrote the names of some of these people, and had I not met hundreds of knitters in the last little while I might stand a chance at remembering their names, but I have met hundreds of knitters and it was Rhinebeck and I am that sort of person and I am very, very sorry. Kindly identify yourself if you see yourself… will you? I beg a thousand pardons.
Click to embiggen the smaller ones.
This is Karen (man.. I think it was Karen. If you’re not Karen I feel really bad.) Karen (or she I’m calling Karen) is showing me her first, second, third and fifth pairs of socks. Her family is wearing them.
I think that picture is so charming that I want to bake that whole family banana bread or something.
Socks. Washcloths. Knitter fun.
Lettuce Knit Megan and my boy Elwood. (I love that baby. )
Kellee yucks it up, Ms Toomuchwool puts it away…
Finally:
With that, I journeyed back to Juno’s… lay face down on the bed until I had a flight home, and made my family squash like a good mum.
Back on track.
I think I’ll knit something.