I’m going to tell you a story that even my knitting ladies haven’t heard yet. This just happened this past Thursday. I wish I could say that Thursday was the first time I’ve heard those words from a bouncer…We all know that that’s not going to be the last time, either.
Poopie and I went to Portland for a concert. You’ll soon find that concert knitting is something I take VERY seriously. I have to take lighting, seating, and table space into consideration. There are some places which have surprisingly good accommodations for crafting, and I can do relatively complex work. Thursday’s venue, however, isn’t one of those. It doesn’t often even have seating. So, the knit hat is what I generally take to work on when I’m headed that direction. I can knit the hat standing and I can even do it in the dark, if need be. These are but two reasons why it is absolutely my go to project on the go. However, I do need to make sure I have cast on prior to arriving, as that can be a problematic step to do standing up in the dark.
Well, Thursday was my lucky day. While Poopie made his way to the front at the stage, I went up to the balcony and found a seat! Up at the stage, one of those blurry guys is Poopie, he’s looking down at his phone. 
Here in the foreground, you see the brim. I’m that far along before the opening act got onstage. When it’s general admission, you gotta get there early.
Prior to the concert beginning, I listened to a podcast on my iPod, and knitted. Once the opening act started, I turned off my iPod, but kept the ear buds in. This, Dear Reader, is why I can still hear even after all these years of being married to Poopie and going to all those concerts. My earbuds double as earplugs. So, still knitting along around and around in 1 x 1 rib, just listening to opening act vs. podcast.
When the opening act was done, a hand landed on my arm. My neighbor in the next seat over asked me what I was knitting. I told her I was knitting a hat. “Oh, like a tuque?” (Clearly, she is from Canadia). I confirmed that’s what I was knitting. She complimented my color choice, and I thanked her. A little later, she asked if I thought I would be done knitting the hat by the end of the concert. I chuckled and said I didn’t think so.
I continued knitting and listened to the headliner, and knit, and knit, and knit some more. Meanwhile, Poopie was up at the stage so he could gaze adoringly at the guitar players. Lo and behold! I did finish the hat. But, by that time, I really wasn’t into doing the finishing work. There was probably enough light, but I would have had to strain my eyes, and it wasn’t worth it, so I put it away and fidgeted my way through the last few songs.
As everyone was getting ready to leave, the same woman asked if I had finished my tuque? I said I had, mostly, but I needed to weave in the ends. She asked if she could buy it from me? I apologized and said no because I hadn’t woven in the ends. The woman assured me that she didn’t mind the ends flopping all about. So, I took the hat off the needles and handed it over to her. I had asked her for what I thought was fair for an unfinished hat, and she gave me more than that, but less than she had pulled out to hand over (what she had pulled out was more than I ask for a finished hat). I would have woven in the ends, anyway, but the bouncer was giving us the bum’s rush. How like me to irritate a bouncer because I’m trying to complete a knitting transaction. There were still lots of people up in the balcony, so I don’t know why he was hovering over US.
That was my excitement for the week! Poopie thinks that she wanted the hat as a souvenir of her experience at the show. I tend to agree. I would love, love, love to hear this story from her point of view.
I had planned to take pictures and all of that, but my plans went awry. I was probably going to use the hat in a scrap post because I was using up spare bits of yarn to make a striped hat. The lighting, though didn’t make in process pictures very viable. I was going to wait until the next day when I had better light. But, my hat had a different destiny than what I thought. The story I thought I was going to tell changed and became a different story. Honestly, that is a theme of my life…probably life in general.
I do wish that I had finished my calling cards, so I could have given her one. While the mystery of me is good for her story, where will she get her future hand knit tuques from??? Although, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of being the mystery knitter in some woman’s story.
In case I haven’t been clear before, I try to copy Life After Work in many things. I tell her it’s the sincerest form of flattery, which she seems to be buying so far. I did have some business cards done up for La Tejedora Crafts. However, when I started the blog, I knew I needed to update them, and carry them around to pass out like calling cards (this is the part I’m stealing from L) instead of just “business” cards. However, while I have the mock-up done, I haven’t taken the time to print and cut the cards themselves. I’ll be doing that, you can be sure!
La Tejedora Crafts 