No party like a knitting party.

I went to a knitting party. 

We had a drink and our teacher assured us that the fancy scarf she was holding was within our reach. She said it would take us 5 minutes to learn. 

We looked at each other dubiously, but tucked in and got ready to learn. I was among 2 previous knitters in a group of 9. My knitting experience began when I was about 9 years old and my grandmother taught me. I wasn't very good, but what I lacked in talent I made up for with diligence and enthusiasm. I would knit the skein of pink yarn she gave me into a long scarf-like object, then unravel it and start again. It looked better each time. I didn't knit an actual object until much later, in college. I think I made two scarves and stopped. 

Which brings us to the knitting party several weeks ago. So...not a lot of experience on my end, exactly. The technique came back to me as I became singularly focused on my soon-to-be-scarf. We were using some fancy yarn that's basically a doily you can use to knit. It was a challenge. Soon, the beginnings of a scarf began to form! 

I took a break here to sit next to friends and walk them through the process. After 90 minutes, most of us had a decent handle on what we were doing--and it got really, really quiet. We were roaring with laughter at the start, shouting at each other and chatting as we looked for the ends of the yarn. But seriously, once we got going it was a library. It felt like when you're having dinner at the end of a long day and the appetizers arrive. Conversation pretty much stops. 

Sidenote? I was inspecting our host's new treadmill and knit about 5 rows while walking on the Eiffel Tower stairs setting. MULTI-TASK MUCH? 

I did finish my scarf, after some serious knitting time. I was determined. So determined, in fact, that I decided to make one for a friend. Went over to the craft store yesterday, only to find that they only had one color of Fancy Yarn--and I hated it. (Well, I hated it for my friend.) So off to the second craft store! I could only locate empty boxes where Fancy Yarn used to live. Tracking down an employee, I inquired about their Fancy Yarn. 

You know what I learned, guys? There are Yarn Groupies. Like, this is a thing. Apparently Fancy Yarn is the hottest yarn in town this season, and it gets snatched up the second it goes on shelves! The employee I spoke with said that on days when they get a shipment, people line up outside the store to get it. 

What. 

Now, I know serious crafters. But I never would have guessed that a fabric store would have a line outside because the Fancy Yarn truck was arriving.