At the same time, I don't want you to think I've mysteriously disappeared. (No such luck, sorry!) So here I am, and you're stuck with my ramblings. Having said that, if you find anything beyond this to be Snoozetown, don't say I didn't warn you!
This past Sunday, when I was at Rosie's, a young woman came in about 20 minutes before closing. When I asked if I could help her, she said Yes, and that she was looking for some crochet supplies. This is the conversation that followed:
Me: What supplies exactly were you hoping to find?
Customer: I don't know.
Me: OK ... well, we have yarn, crochet hooks, patterns, pattern books - do you need any of those things?
Customer: I don't know.
Me: What did you want to make?
Customer: I don't know.
Me: Do you have a pattern?
Customer: No.
Me (feeling completely at a loss): Well, why don't you look around, and see if anything strikes you, and we can go from there.
She seemed to like that suggestion, and started walking around. I went to put some things away, and when I came back, my co-worker was ringing up a sale for the customer, who had chosen some yarn and bought a crochet hook. I said, "Oh I'm glad you found something," and she said, "My grandmother taught me to crochet, and I've never used a pattern, or anything other than her supplies. But now she's dead, and I finished using her yarn. So I didn't know what to get. I'm gonna try a blanket with what I bought today."
This was so intriguing to me. It never occurred to me that if someone taught you to knit/crochet, always providing materials and instruction, that when they were no longer around, you'd be at a loss. How strange that must be, don't you think? I'm glad the customer found something, but I have to wonder if she bought enough, or the right hook for the yarn, etc. She seemed OK with her decisions, and I hope it was worth the trip for her. We may never know, or maybe she will come back another time, or even sign up for a class.
Clearly, this whole experience has stuck in my brain. It was just so unusual, at least for me.
OK, if you have read this far and you are still awake, I think you deserve some sort of pictures, don't you????
"I never thought I'd hear you say
you didn't have any knitting pictures"
"zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"
5 comments:
I'd never thought about the Mentor-Being-Gone scenario either. Sort of sad. . .
Interesting abt the woman who crochets and lost her mentor. I sort of had this but I learned to knit when I was 9 and the person who taught me didnt own a stash, she was a one project at a time woman. Once I got old enough to take myself to a craft store, I expanded my horizons.
You definitely meet all kinds of interesting ppl at your shop, huh?
I can't decide if that's heartbreaking - losing the person you shared the activity with and, apparently decided it all, or unsettling - being at such a loss without that person.
Although I did stand in Sears for two hours right after I'd gotten divorced, trying to figure out what my favorite color was and which freaking towels to buy....
Bridget- Working in a yarn store sure is different, because the emphasis is on service. Hard to serve someone who really doesn't know why she's there- I hope it works out for her.
Kitties kitties- love the kitties.
(You're on for Maryland, GF)
Oh look! Malcolm's twin! Looking considerably less...pudgy...thank Malcolm. But the orangies sure manage some awkward sleeping positions.
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