UNexpectations

This weekend I attended the DFW Fiber Fest. I signed up to take a few knitting classes and the rest of the weekend was spent helping (i hope) with the booth that The Knitting Fairy, The Accidental Knitter, and Spirit of Knitting shared. I expected to meet a few new people, learn something, and knit a bunch. On these three points, all went as expected. However, as is the case most often, it is the unexpected that was most memorable.

On Friday, I took an all-day class on knitting Turkish Socks. I love the colors and patterns in these socks and have fantasized about knitting a pair for years. But, the perfectionist in me wanted to do them the "right" way which translates to knitting them from the toe up. I have read the instructions for this technique several times but this blind girl is a visual learner and I just wasn't getting it from the written instructions. After only the second attempt to cast on and get going, I achieved success! This is due to a great teacher, Lynn Hershberger. Thank you Lynn! I am a firm believer, from my vantage point as both a teacher and a student, that no matter how knowledgeable an individual is, if they do not have a personality that resonates a passion for teaching, nothing will happen in the classroom.

I finished my mini sock. It was not perfect by any means. (We knit on so few stitches that when I got to the color pattern on the cuff, my floats were to tight.) That doesn't really matter. I learned and I am going to make a me-sized sock (once I finish the things for the upcoming issue of Spirit of Knitting).

Then the real unexpected - the tornado sirens that went off a few minutes before the event fashion show was to begin. We were all instructed to make sure that we had ID with us and to take cover in an interior meeting room as quickly as possible. Several tornadoes had already touched down to the west of us and were making their way in our direction. We all did as we were told. There were people making calls to loved ones on their cell phones, others knitting (what else should one do in a stressful situation?), and others of us talking with those around us. I manged to leave my knitting in the booth and my cell phone was in an undisclosed location. So, I was one of those talking. I talked with several new people and an acquaintance who I had not seen for some time. The caring and good humor shared was another of those wonderful unexpected experiences. After about 30 minutes we were given the "all clear" and the night's events went on as planned. The good humor that began as were we were being ambushed by the violent storms continued through the fashion show. The atmosphere was fun and light=hearted.

Saturday - work the booth in the morning and another class in the afternoon. At the end of the day, we went to dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. It is amazing what ensues when a lack of sleep, a hard day's work, a wicked sense of humor, and good friends are combined. In a moment of absolute maturity, we played a round of the game that involves everyone adding the phrase "in Bed" to the end of the words of wisdom found in their fortune cookie. My fortune read, "A short stranger will soon enter your life with blessings to share." Okay . . .you can stop laughing now. In this case of our dining adventure, it was our waiter who would have been well-served to expect the unexpected. Oh well, we tipped him generously.

Today was spent entirely in our booth. This allowed the opportunity to meet more people. This afternoon, Lynn (Friday's teacher) gave me a gift of a CD of the music she and her husband create. Knitting and music in the same place - awesome! And, it is a genre that I don't normally listen to - songs of the 1920's performed with voice and ukulele - so again. a new and unexpected experience.

I must admit that my people quotient was about to max out by the end of the day but that is my baggage and had nothing really to do with the people I was with. I just reach a saturation level of sociability and then I can absorb no more. So, I retire to the solitude of my office, fantasize about the sock I want to start and ponder the unexpected. Oh wait . . .then it is no longer the unexpected.