Knit Shop

My colleague and friend Miki gave me some beautiful yarn for Christmas with the idea that I could knit a Turkish shawl. So, today we met at the knit shop in the city center to select a pattern and get instructions. From the store front I would never have known what treasures this shop held, but as we climbed the two flights of stairs to the top floor I was in awe of the unlimited creative possibilities this store possessed. Floor to ceiling bins filled with skeins of vibrant colors and creative textures surrounded me. Hanging from the ceiling were samples of knitted and crocheted baby clothes, shawls, hats, scarves, sweaters, rugs, stuffed animals, and house decorations that looked like years of work.

Sitting in the middle of the room was an older Turkish woman knitting from "her heart" as Miki put it...no patterns here. I looked at the knitted samples surrounding the room, choose my shawl pattern and sat down for instructions. Miki translated the Turkish andwe each practiced making a flower while sipping chai. I now have the goal of completing 4 flowers per day so I can return and learn the next step while the weather is still cold enough to need a shawl. I was in awe of the knitting talent of these women.