Mossy Cottage Knits

Down the Rabbit Hole

What a mix of delightful and surreally perplexing the Madrona fiber conference was this year. It was still wonderful enough that I want to go back next year (so much so that I’m willing it to be February 2009 now, damn it!), but the peripheral goings-on were something else.

The hotel is in the process of being remodeled so it was a bit like being in a mash-up of a war zone, a maze, a video game, and Wonderland. Every time you went to the lobby or the mezzanine, the roped-off pathways and the areas where you could go, or not, would have changed, and contractors and equipment were constantly appearing and disappearing. And the results of the remodel from Uninspiring Classic American Hotel to We-Are-Trying-Too-Hard Cosmopolitan Modern? Meh. In particular, the bane of everyone’s existence were the new bowl-like sinks. You know, the kind that sits on top of the counter instead of flush with it? You could always tell when some poor knitter had made the mistake of trying to wash her hands because she would come out of the bathroom with a sploosh of water across her middle and a slightly annoyed look on her face. We learned over time to look politely away because, well, been there, done that.

Then our dear friend Elaine had to drive home in the middle of the night because her room was under the service corridor and the attendant service carts that rumbled back and forth, back and forth, back and forth all night, making sleep impossible. (Pray tell; what was hotel management thinking?) Another guest had to call the concierge to have the people in the room above her (not knitters, it should be known) thrown out because of the drunken ruckus they were making. Then there was the poor woman who had her car stolen.

We were lucky enough to escape such calamities, however. Instead, we spent two days recharging our emotional batteries by squatting outside of the fiber market, schmoozing with peeps we either never get to see, or see all the time, or see all the time yet don’t know well. I did a wee bit of damage in this year’s (luscious and huge, by my standards) market: Five skeins of yarn (an angora mix from Toots LeBlanc , one skein of Blue Moon sock yarn, one skein of cheerfully bright, variegated yarn from Two Swans, and two balls of Trekking), three patterns, and the Knit Kimono book.

After the Saturday-night banquet and the fascinating lecture on bison fiber and bison husbandry by fiber swami Judith MacKenzie McCuin, a gaggle of us, maybe 20, sat around the cheerful fire pit—near the full-size horse statue with a lamp sprouting out of its head; further evidence of the wackadoo remodel—and yacked the evening away. I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to be away from both of our houses and all the drama and the angst of the last few months. It was also quietly affirming and validating to be able to lean against TMK in public (oooooo!) and know that not a single person in that lovely, supporting group would take offense. If you were there, just know that you were part of a very special moment for us, whether you were aware of it or not. (My ring looks lovely in firelight, by the way. Hee!)

I actually did some knitting and started and completed one ribbon dishcloth. You know your brain’s not ticking over quite right when you have to tink a frickin’ dishcloth, but I eventually prevailed and am ready to churn out my next. (The full story behind these dishcloths is that another employee is making homemade ribbon-shaped soaps which we will then bundle with the dishcloths for my employee to sell at her cancer walk. I am feeling really good about this project. True, it’s no Dulaan, but we’re still making a difference in people’s lives through knitting. Win-win-win!)

A special “hello” to Adrienne who managed to catch us just as we were leaving Madrona. (Literally. I was getting ready to climb into the car.) It was so nice to meet you, and thank you for the warm hug! I wish we could've talked more. And another shout out to adorable Erika and David, our Madrona mascots! We sure wish we could see you guys more than once a year!

Our next adventure? Maui in March! Two of TMK's friends are getting married there so we’re going to make the trek across the wawa to cheer them on. This is A Big Deal for TMK since it involves her first long flight, her first flight through more than one time zone, and her first crossing of (at least part of) the ocean. She vacillates between out-of-her-mind excited and so terrified she pees her pants. Me, my pants are quite dry and clean, thank you.