Charles drove me the three blocks from our hotel in Alpine to Front Street Books, where “A Crochet and Knitting Afternoon with Suzann Thompson” would start at 2 o’clock.
Why did we drive, when the weather was so nice? Because I had too much stuff to carry, as usual.
We spread flowers and flower projects on every surface, except for the few square feet that held snacks. I lingered over the flowers near this area, so I could breathe in the chocolaty goodness. Yum.
The talking started as soon as the first yarn lovers walked through the door, which won’t come as a surprise. We talked about yarn and where to buy it, the steps of writing craft books, and much more.
I showed my precious spiral-bound copy of Crochet Bouquet. Julie, the manager of Front Street Books, confirmed that book store owners do not like spiral-bound books. “They’re difficult to display,” she said.
“Besides, you can’t read the spines,” said Kay, who also showed a clever hand-held loom called a Weav-ette.
As we discussed yarns and technique, Susan sat crocheting a daffodil with a “How to Crochet” book peeking from underneath her copy of Crochet Bouquet. We were amazed at how quickly she learned to crochet. “Well, I knit,” she said modestly, to explain her quick mastery.
Many knitters I know use “I knit” as an explanation for why they can’t learn to crochet. Go figure!
After a while, our discussion broke into smaller groups and we helped ourselves to treats and coffee. Susan, twelve-year-old Kara, Alison and I had a crochet lesson. Julie’s aunt, also named Julie, almost finished a rib-and-shell hat she started that same afternoon.
It was a happy day.