Traveling Bag

Meet the perfect project bag. A circular bottom allows it to sit stably on a flat surface. The toggle lock prevents the contents from accidentally spilling out. And the nifty handle gives a knitter an option I have yet to exercise-- to knit while walking.

"I picked this one for you," the bag's creator, Theresa Gaffey, told me. She knows how much I love coffee and the bag's fabric sports both coffee images and java jive.

My knitting treasure is now on the road with me and my husband as we drive drive East to visit family and friends. Looking at it reminds me of the past week-end which we spent in St. Paul, Minnesota. There I had two readings of A Knitter's Home Companion at the Yarnery.

Hearty thanks are due to the helpful staff of the Yarnery for making my St. Paul event truly delightful. Gratitude galore goes to their event organizer, Sarah Walker, who baked a delicous powdered sugar version of Sis Gessner's Mandel Bread and brewed a wickedly wonderful pot of my favorite beverage to serve with it. Grateful appreciation to our gracious hostesses, Theresa Gaffey and her sister Maureen, who opened up their hearts and homes to us. Thank you one and all!

Notes:

Some of you may recognize Theresa's name from her lovely patterns in A Knitter's Home Companion--The Lacy Scarf, The Updated Ripple Afghan, and the Trio of Lacy Washcloths. To find more Theresa Gaffey's patterns and ones written by other Yarnery folks, including Sarah Walker, by clicking here.

The Year We Were Famous

“By the time we reached Utah, Ma and I had been walking for over two months and covered over nine hundred and eleven miles. I had already worn out four pairs of shoes. Unfortunately, I had only one pair of feet, and they had to last me until New York City.”

Carole Estby Dagg, The Year We Were Famous, Based on the true story of young Clara Estby’s walk across America

Early excitement about my fall road trips could be what originally interested me in The Year We Were Famous, a travel tale set in 1896. I first heard of the book this summer when the author, Carole Estby Dagg, wrote about her revision process in an intriguing post on Darcy Pattison’s Fiction Notes. She described how her book had evolved over a period of fifteen years. I made note of the title. One hot and lucky afternoon a few weeks later, when browsing in the Iowa City library children’s room new book section, I found an available copy.  

The Year We Were Famous is a warm-hearted, well-written, and sometimes, very funny story of perseverance. Based on the true accounts of the author’s great-aunt and great-grandmother, it tells of their pedestrian journey from Mica Creek, Washington to New York City. Their trek was a bet made with Miss A. J. Waterson. If they successfully completed it in just seven months, Clara and her mother Helga were to earn $10,000. Back then, that was money enough to save their family farm and create a college fund for Clara and her siblings.

Unprepared for the almost all of the challenges of such a journey, sensible Clara and passionate Helga face devastating defeats and nearly lose their spirits. By testing their resolve and courage, the trip helps them to uncover new truths and understandings in their complicated relationship. When you reach the book’s tender ending, you will want to stand up and cheer Carole Estby Dagg for sharing their honest story with us.

The Year We Were Famous is highly recommended reading for those about to board their comfortable car and take off for parts known and unknown. It may also be enjoyed in the comfort of one’s favorite reading chair.

Visit the author’s website.

Watch the book trailer.

Knitting Notes:

Never doubt the importance of a good pair of socks when on a pedestrian journey.  Check out the  Elegance Socks pattern.

Learning Quiet

Because I was a noisy child, I had to learn about quiet. In the classrooms and in the hallways at School 18, I learned about an enforced, unnatural and inpatient quiet. There, from kindergarten through eighth grade, I learned that even my childish chatter could bring embarrassing consequences from the harsh regime that ruled the school.

It was Camp Hochelaga, where I spent my summers, that taught me about natural, gentle,and comforting quiets. There I learned that quiet can allow you to hear the crackle of the wood in a camp fire surrounded by 150 girls of all ages. Or the splash of your arm as it hits the water and tries to synchronize with your breathing. Camp was a noisy place, too. Lots of singing, and laughing, and loud, loud talking. There were mischievous breaks, and stunts, rowdiness after taps when we were supposed to be asleep, or during rest hours when we were supposedly, well, resting. But the sound of our exuberance and joy never interfered with our other respectful quiets.

This Sunday when I pick up my needles in service and remembrance, I’ll try and capture a bit of the Hochelaga spirit and quiet.

Stitches MidWest 2011

Years ago, when we lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, I took my daughters to Stitches MidWest. Back then, it was held in Minneapolis.

“Now I know how Harry Potter felt when he arrived at Hogwarts,” I told them. Everywhere we looked there were knitters--knitting, examining wool, sharing patterns, spinning, and talking about knitting.

Stitches MidWest was my first glimpse of the knitting world.

On Saturday, I’ll be back at Stitches MidWest. If you are attending, please stop by The Yarn Barn of Kansas (Booth 501). I will be signing copies of A Knitter’s Home Companion at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  I have A Knitter’s Home Companion buttons ( featured in the photo at the top of the blog post) to give away with each book.

If you can’t make it to Stitches Midwest, here’s a chance to get your very own A Knitter’s Home Companion button. I’m giving away ten. Send me an email and let me know where you would pin your button. The contest closes on September 4^th.

Notes:

Our most treasured Stitches discovery was a silk hankie. They are also know as silk caps. They do look like a hankie, but don’t be fooled. With a little effort, you can pull and spin yards of lovely silk yarn.

Read the excellent Knitty tutorial on how to spin a silk hankie.

Look for them at yarn stores and fiber festivals.