Life of the Lintee Bean

My favorite day of the year has come and gone – the day we go to the Michigan Fiber Festival! Once again, my friend Amy was kind enough to get us both tickets through the Windy City Knitting Guild. Tickets include the bus ride to and from the festival (leaving at 7:00 a.m. sharp), a lunch, and snacks.

Last year many people wondered why I went, given I do not knit or spin (though I do crochet) and I’m allergic to wool, alpaca, angora, and all the other yarns most go to purchase. No one questioned my presence this year. While I can’t actually KNIT, I do have knitting needles and I’ve even picked them up!

Once we boarded the bus, Amy declared it “show and tell time”. She displayed her beautiful purple mohair lace scarf in progress. The women behind us showed off the shawls they were making. The woman across the aisle let us ooh and ah over her thrummed mittens. The woman in front of us was knitting a lovely cabled scarf.

I held up a lumpy misshapen rectangle of cotton. Everyone looked confused.

It's going to be a dishcloth!

“It’s going to be a dishcloth.” I declared.  This was met with silence.

“I’m just learning to knit.” I explained. The looks of confusion turned into something I suspect was pity.

Nonetheless, it was a splendid time! I watched other knitters on the bus, trying to figure out how they did this knitting thing. Unfortunately, most of them knit much too quickly for me to really grasp how they’re doing it.

Once at the festival, we looked at all the animals – rabbits, goats, sheep, alpaca, even a camel – all at the festival to be displayed or purchased so you could make your own yarn.

I didn’t buy any animals, but I did buy yarn. Lots and lots and lots of yarn! Gorgeous soft yarn in amazing colors, often hand-dyed by the vendors. I even bought a few yarns I’m allergic to, to use as gifts for friends that knit or crochet.

Friends asked if I’d go to Stitches Midwest, which is another fiber festival held just one week later.  Of course I said… YES!  Can you have too much yarn?   I don’t think you can!  While I was tired and less enthused than the week before – it was a relatively quick drive to the Chicago suburbs.  I had fun walking around with friends and yes, I did buy yet more yarn. One of my friends had knit a beautiful pair of socks for me and gave them to me at the festival, so I not only left with yarn but something ready-to-wear as well.

A friend once told me that all my yarn represents “possibility”.  I think that’s exactly right.  This gorgeous yarn has the potential to be so many wonderful things, and I know I’ll enjoy working with it… possibly as much as buying it. Seriously, though, I think the joy of the yarn is outweighed by the fun had spending time with friends.

Submitted for publication in the Greeley Citizen