18 October 2011

Nothing to See Here

Sigh.  I have been knitting, honest!  But I don't have any pictures to show you because a) I haven't managed to get some things photographed, and b) I'm doing a lot of "secret" knitting - you know, birthday and Christmas gifts.  Situations like this do not make for riveting posts, since you can talk about things, but no one has any idea what you mean.

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:

Kim said...

I'd never thought about the Mentor-Being-Gone scenario either. Sort of sad. . .

Lynn said...

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?

Carrie#K said...

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....

Lorraine said...

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)

Brigitte said...

Oh look! Malcolm's twin! Looking considerably less...pudgy...thank Malcolm. But the orangies sure manage some awkward sleeping positions.