Ode to Judy

Okay, I had my second class with Judy Wilcox, who is billed at Knit-Purl as The Queen of Portland's Technical Knitters. This woman knows her stuff and is well deserving of her title as Queen. She was helpful with all my projects, not just the BSJ. She also patiently worked on the hopelessly tangled yarn of another student, a lowly task that she did without a word of complaint.

I'd not hesitate to ask her help with anything or to sign up for a class with her. I'm thinking of taking a beginning sock class and she's offering one. Perhaps she will see me there. She also teaches a Tips & Tricks class at Knit-Purl. That would be well-worth the time, I'm certain.

So, don't tell her that my nice white (fourth) BSJ has a nasty little problem that I'm off on the stitch counts. One side of the blamed thing is 2 stitches longer than the other. So now I'm considering how to remedy that one. Drat.

Going back to Saturday, then, I went with my brother and my husband to the 2006 North American Organic Brewers Festival. My bro & my husband both enjoy an excellent beer. I think all beer is swill and don't understand why anyone would drink the stuff. Yuck. I'm making 'bitter beer face' just thinking about it. I do like a hard cider (pear or apple) so I was just hoping to accompany the guys and perhaps maybe I'd get a few ounce sample of a hard cider. No such luck, but, even better, the people at Redstone Meadery were there, with their nectar (http://www.redstonemeadery.com/). Nectar is good. I liked 'em both, both the Black Raspberry and the Sunshine (apricot). I got to have four samples, so I was about as far gone as the boys were. (Which is to say, not much. No drunken carousing, sorry.) I also got to taste food from the restaurant Horn of Africa, up on N MLK Blvd. I'm hoping we'll be able to visit their restaurant soon. Great enjerra bread and nice vegan foods. Dave enjoyed their lemon garlic chicken, too.

There, in the middle of the pavillion surrounded by wonderful organic beers in little plastic mugs, was a woman knitting away on socks or anklets. I got to talk with her briefly although I failed to get her name. She was indeed Knitting In Public on the 2006 WorldWide Knit In Public Day! I was deeply ashamed that I had not brought my knitting. So we discussed the possibility that if the 2007 Organic Brewers Festival falls on the same day as the 2007 WorldWide Knit In Public Day that we could again, attend both festivals and knit with Organic Yarns. Perhaps we can get an Organic Yarn sponsor and set up a table. What a cool idea. Bro & Husband would happily volunteer to provide brawn (and get free entrance to the event) and support us 100%. Although I'm not sure that I'm going to be willing to teach persons who have consumed more than four samples how to knit for the first time ever.

I'll work on the knitting on Monday.