Knitting a Friendship One Stitch At A Time. Chapter 1

I can't possibly go forward without explaining what  and who happened to me last year.  I will call this  post a love letter to my knitting soul mate.

You see I stopped posting because I went back underground with my knitting for a while there.  I was still doing it in the spring of 2011 but in truth I had lost my Mojo just a smidge.  Upon my return from holidays I found myself without any knitting peeps and I had pretty much resigned myself to knitting all by my lonesome.  Then, at the beginning of the new school year I met someone who was to become my yarn partner in crime.  The day we were introduced I don't think either of us knew just how much knitting mischief we were about to make together.

I 'm a fast knitter, she's a fast knitter.  I'm a natural fiber girl, she's a natural fiber girl.  I like simple and chic and she, well you see where I'm going with this.  It truly became a match made in knitters heaven.

What started out as us trying to start up our school knitting group turned into several pilgrimages a week to yarn stores not only in and around Brussels but in different countries as well.  Why limit your yarn options to two or three shops when you can shop in France?  We met all the time to knit and to show and tell and advise each other on the yarn that the other just HAD to have.

I even convinced my girl to take a crochet class with me.  Now normally this wouldn't be such a big deal but the class was being given in French.  My French word bank was void of any knitting and crocheting vocabulary and my American buddy was new to her French speaking environment.  In the end we persevered and learned heaps from the lovely Peggy and the other students.  The result was a beautiful scarf from a Japanese pattern  which we both made out of Malabrigo sock.  We wore them with pride all winter. Crochet rocks.

Not too shabby considering I hold my hook
like a knitting needle.

C's scarf with a Kim Hargreaves design she later made

The months passed with us encouraging each other constantly. While Brussels can be a dark and wet place in the winter or spring or even summer for that matter,  we made the best of it, making toasty and cozy sweaters and scarves to keep ourselves warm.  With the new year came the hope of Spring and we did our best to switch to lighter yarns of cotton and linen.  Projects were started, put aside for new and more exciting ones and the WIPS started to pile up all over the place.  As every knitter knows, some came to be while others now reside in our stashes.  I'm happy to say that most became something and I have C to thank for that.  We tried our best to keep each other on track.

As Spring began it's ever so slow start in Brussels I woke up one day with the idea that I would like to yarn bomb the school that our children attended.  C was immediately in and we set out to find other parents to help.  Because we were planning it at school it seemed only fitting that we involve students as well.  The result was nothing short of spectacular.  In the end we had over 20 parents and students produce a yarn installation on campus which was viewed by the entire school community on it's annual International day.  I haven't felt such a sense of accomplishment in quite some time.

With the onset of Spring came some big news for us both.  We would both be leaving Brussels, she to return to the U.S. and me to Dubai.  While we were both excited to start our new adventures I think I can speak on her behalf when I say we were quite saddened to have our mischief making  cut so short.  We did our very best to drown our sorrows in yarn and to promise to stay in touch.

C with what we BOTH know to be
a Caipirinha in her hand.
When on campus, help yourself
to a drink svp.

And that we have!  My knitting Bestie and I still chat almost every day, several times a day about yarn and life, and yarn and moving, and yarn and kids and then more about yarn.  She has returned to the land of Winter and snow and sends me pics of her warm and toasty wool on big needles.  I on the other hand send her daily rants on the trials of knitting in 40 degree heat.  This linen obsessed old girl is growing quickly weary of knitting on 3.5's!  While she often mocks me she is as always a constant source of inspiration as I hope I am to her.  I miss you Madame Chereeeel.

                                     

Ok so I just re-read the post and while it's WAAAAY too sentimental, I meant every word!

Stay tuned for my next post on how I met a whole brand new bunch of yarn addicts right here in the sand box.

Big love from the land of the sunshine,

G.