I’m Blessed

OK, this is a horrible picture of me, but it commemorates a really fun day.  Yesterday I got a day off of routine.  I did several crazy things, in fact.  First, we left the farm during harvest.  People just don’t do that.  The fact that it was raining buckets (making harvesting impossible) helped.  (Well, helped me to go.  It certainly didn’t help harvest.  Hopefully we’ll get some sunshine and wind the next few days.) The fact that it was a Sunday, and Knut never works on Sundays made this plan work.

I’ve been following this online competition called “The Fiber Factor” where knitting designers compete much in a “Project Runway” fashion.  When I found out that challenge 5 for the designers in the competition would be judged at a yarn studio about 3 hours from our farm, I just knew I wanted to go see the judging live.  When I found out that the former editor of Knitscene, (who has just been promoted to the editor of “Interweave Knits” magazine) was going to be one of the judges, I just wanted it even more.  Pictured above is the woman who put my design on the cover of the Winter 2012 issue of “Knitscene”.  I would absolutely love to work with her again, and I really wanted to meet her face to face.  It was so exciting to chat with her for a little bit.

It all worked out because one of my friends from a knitting group offered to watch Ingrid as part of an army of people required for this mom of 5 to take the day off.  Her husband was running the marathon in the same city, and she said she could hold Ingrid while I attended the event.  I agreed, and told Knut that the biggest part of the puzzle to get out there was in place.  Now to just find spots for the other 4 kids to go.

At that point, Knut saw how desperately I wanted to go, and said, “Why don’t we all go to the cities?” and he watched all 5 kids at his aunt’s house for the day, about 30 minutes from the studio I was at.  I actually didn’t need my friend’s help after all, but without even knowing, she made it happen.

Meeting Lisa (above..the editor) was a thrill.  I also met StevenBe, who owned the studio, and was just wild.  That was a thrill.  I met the CEO of Skacel yarn.  I also got to meet the creative director of Skacel yarn, (Cirilia Rose) whose design work I simply love:

Ugh, I hate this picture of me too.  Ugh.  I’m having some image issues of late that maybe sometime I’ll write about.  I think I enjoy being the one taking pictures better.  Anyway, she was so much fun, and I felt like a bit of a groupie talking with her.  She liked my vintage skirt, and I liked her vintage dress, and she asked if my sweater was made with Quince yarn in the color peacock, and I said, yes as a matter of fact, it is.  Then she said she thought so because she has some of that in her personal stash too.

It was awesome.  She leaned down for this picture as she’s tall and I’m…not.

The fashion show was so much fun.  Watching the judging was fun, and I’ll be good and not give spoilers out on the internet on who won before the show goes live.

Another amazing part of the day was sitting next to this lady:

This is StevenBe’s mom.  My name was placed next to hers at the luncheon, so I got to sit and eat with this incredible woman.  She owns a little yarn shop and teaches knitting classes.  Through her son’s artwork, she got connected up with Jennifer Aniston and has done some custom knitting for her.  She asked about my family, and somehow we got to the topic of how Knut likes to ski, and I’m often knitting by the fire.  She smiled and said, “You and your husband remind me of my old friend Elizabeth, and her husband.  That was them.  He would ski, and she would knit, and write about knitting.

“Oh, really?”  I said.
“Yes, ” she said in her thick German accent. “You may have heard of her.  Elizabeth Zimmerman?”

Elizabeth Zimmerman.  Seriously?!?  She said I reminded her of Elizabeth for various reasons.  Can there be a bigger compliment to give a knitter?  I guess they were both from Germany and emigrated around the same time and were friends, teaching knitting: one in Wisconsin, the other in Minnesota.

Oh, this was a fun lady to meet.  She gave me some timeless, good advice for my design business and really spoke to my heart.  For this woman, it’s not about the money.  For her, it’s about the love of the craft and passing on the tradition of knitting.  She really made me feel valued as a mother, and encouraged me to soak that up.

I feel so blessed that Knut made this happen for me.  I’m so blessed I got to meet a huge number of amazing people and experience some amazing art in a whole new way.  I got to see so much, and learn so much, and the food was amazing and the swag bags were generous.  I feel totally pampered.

Plus, you know what?  After all that, I returned to normal life today, teaching my kids, making lunch, and snuggling babies to sleep.  Even though yesterday was so much fun, I feel overwhelmed with the thought that in my regular, ordinary life… I’m not missing anything.  I love this mom job, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

I’m blessed.