This has been a fun, fun, fun and wild trip so far!
Purly Gates, as I wrote, was a hoot (even more so because it was just down the road from a Cemetary – something I don’t think they’d thought of … – but it was just the warm up for Main Street Yarns.
From the moment I arrived I felt totally at home! Stephanie – who works at the shop and was instrumental in getting me down there – was a hoot and a riot and sat in on most of the classes (Shut UP!) She teaches classes there – I wish I’d been hanging around long enough to take one – and it’s always such fun to see the regular customers interact with the folks who are usually THEIR teachers in a classroom setting!
The four classes I taught seemed to be all full – 13 in each (but only 10 showed up for one, or am I just living in a blur?) and I was so happy to be able to get through 2 full days of teaching back to back without becoming terribly winded. I sat down for most of the classes, it’s true, but as I said to Ruth (the owner of MSY) I felt that sitting down forced me to attack the problem of teaching skills in a more thoughtful way, and perhaps led to greater success for the students. I know that this bunch picked up the slipped st plaid AND the lace patterns much quicker than many other classes I’ve taught it to – but I’m perfectly willing to chalk that up to the skill and intelligence of the class and not any difference in my teaching method!
A bunch of us went out for dinner on Saturday – in a different county where beer WAS for sale – and had a magnificent time (thanks Ruth!) We even got home alive (a minor miracle) – me with a six pack for future medicinal use. Last night (Sunday) after my last class a bunch of us sat in the living room masquerading as a yarn shop and chatted, drank wine, ate chips and had the BEST time just shooting the breeze. Well – most of us were shooting, one of us was working hard…
James is a worker at the shop who teaches crochet, but he doesn’t knit. I promised him that if he gave me 1/2 hour, I’d give him knitting skills. He was up for the lesson last evening so I taught him the purl and the knit very quickly (he was a ringer, already having an affinity for needlwork) After that we moved on to ribbing, then it was just natural to teach him cabling, which he took to like an Irishman (or woman) to a good Pint. He was an amazing student, and seeing him gleefully finish three repeats of 4 st cables was the perfect cap to my Watkinsville experience. I was so chuffed that when I got home I read and went to sleep, didn’t even have one of my chilled Terrapin’s or watch the Oscars, I just rested.
I have to say that I saw more men knitting, buying yarn, and wearing sweaters they’d made themselves, at this shop than I have anywhere else! However, I have yet to see the gun and yarn shop I’m imagining exists SOMEWHERE in Georgia. Two of the knitters for Men Who Knit And The Dogs Who Love Them showed up to say “hi!” – it was such a joy to meet Lou and Doug in person! You’ll have to wait until the book comes out to see their pictures, but they’re fuzzy, funny, wonderful guys and I was so happy to give them a hug. Have I mentioned how much I miss Gerry?
Today I’m off – no teaching – and tomorrow during the day I’m free, too. But tomorrow night I’ll be at The Whole Nine Yarns for a sort of Combo Knitting Lecture. Not a class as much as a talk (although I’ll show anyone anything, for a price)
This afternoon I’m hanging out at one of the few Starbucks I was able to find (T mobile hotspot!) waiting until my cousin Debby or her daughter gets home so we can chat and chat and chat some more. I may run past Marshalls and see if sheets here are cheaper (I’m in a sheet buying mood – we’re running low back home) and check quilt prices. I get to see this cousin Deb very seldom (I have another cousin Deb, but she’s been Janese since childhood, and I see her more often than anyone else in the family) This cousin Deb is a teacher, a lovely person, and I just adore her family. The folks here at the Starbucks aren’t sure what to make of the woman in the Knit For Brains T-shirt who pulled up in a purple PT Cruiser (NJ Plates) and has sat for hours on her computer. I think I’m scary. I think it’s time to purchase another delicious coffee-based drink, or perhaps a salad…
They’re blacktopping the parking lot, so I’d better go check on the cruiser, too…