Knitting Stories

I really enjoy the easy comraderie of sitting around the tables and knitting together in a group. Everyone shares their joys and frustrations with THE YARN, of course. But also, I gather information about the town I now live in by listening to the waves of conversation about people I don't know, picking up bits and pieces of family history, who lives or lived in what house (and who they are related to), and letting it all wash over me without consciously trying to remember it. Everyone is connected here, by blood, by marriage, by church. I am the orphan-outsider, but strangely, it does not bother me like it did in New York. I belong only by virtue of the people I choose to associate with, and the ins and outs, the feuds and family do not touch me personally. I guess I've gotten to the point where I "belong" just enough to keep from turning into a total mountain-dwelling hermit. I am so happy to have found such a diverse and congenial group that puts up with me and my drive-by knitting, odd sense of humor and outlander accent. And they are all such interesting women, so it keeps me listening instead of just running my mouth, as I tend to do in group situations, (usually without my brain engaged).

I made my Summer Fruit Claffouti last night, [recipe here] and took it to knitting to share. Andrea called while I was wrestling the cake out of the oven with the news that her scanner said there was a fire on Devil's Nose Road, was I all right? "How did you know I was baking?" I asked her. She laughed, but I never did smell any smoke from the reported fire, so it must have been small or the wind was blowing the other way.

There was also good news at group today: We have been given permission to meet at the church on Monday nights as well as Friday mornings, so our members who have to work during the day can also join in the fun! While husbands are glued to Monday Night Football, we will be doing group therapy in the form of knitting. The rumor is that it is to be a sock-knitting class. This frightens me, but then everything in this class has been a real intellectual and physical coordination challenge, so what else is new? Socks? Sure, I can learn how to do socks. I may swear through the whole class (silently, because we are, after all, venued in a church), but sign me up for that kind of fun.

After class, I ventured over to the Farmer's Market and bought a canteloupe, a handful of okra, and every cucumber they had. These cukes will augment my garden stash, and tonight, let the pickling begin!

I lead such an exciting life.