Tour de BC and Thanks to the Knitting Insiders

I’m on the road again, this time quite literally!  I haven’t been doing much flying on this teaching trip, if you don’t count the initial 6 or 7 hours it took to get to Calgary and then on to Vancouver.

Adding the finishing touch to my new luggage

The details of this trip have been in the works for several years and the logistics of visiting  a number of smaller textile groups in interior British Columbia took on quite a level of complexity. In the end, textile artist and traveler Janet Armstrong kindly organized the 16 day schedule into a route that could be managed with a total of 5 venues. It may look like a  pretty intensive agenda, but when I’m on the road, I do prefer to keep busy.

Once again, my hosts and the knitters I am meeting along the way have been nothing short of generous and kind.  I’ve been treated to some wonderful sights, visited lovely local spots and knitted with some truly talented craftspeople.

gorgeous scenery in Kamloops

Meanwhile back at the ranch, my husband had been waiting for surgery for which we had booked a date in early November.  In anticipation of taking care of him and peeling his grapes, I had adjusted the dates of one of my upcoming November trips…

I left for the West Coast on Oct 4th. The flight was uneventful, I made all of my connections and  arrived at my destination in a timely fashion.  I was ready to teach!

Natural Bridge

I was dramatically awakened early the next morning.

In the dark of a bleary, jet lagged West Coast dawn, I received a message from my friend back home letting me know that John had been taken to hospital in the night.  He was currently in the OR and she was staying with him.  It would appear that the November surgery could not wait; the operation was underway.

It was a very long week. Over the course of my first five days on the road, John ended up having not one, but two emergency surgeries!  My friends have been truly amazing, keeping me abreast of progress and whether or not I should be bailing out from here.  I created an exit plan should things become even worse, but they assured me that they could hold down the fort.  I can’t explain how torn I have been, but I did feel confident in keeping my commitments to my knitters, knowing  the effort and time my friends and family have taken to keep John fed, entertained and resting. A nurse has been visiting regularly, keeping a good eye on his progress.

As for the workshops, I have been doing my best to provide personalized instruction and not feel too distracted.  Most of the attendees are women and not only understand, but can navigate such a domestic crisis situation themselves. They have been nothing short of gracious given my current situation!

Thankfully John is doing much better now: we’ve been able to Skype these last few mornings and I’m so relieved to see him “in person”. I can attest that he’s definitely back to his old self, though perhaps more tired.

Three more workshop days to accomplish, and then I’ll be headed east. I’ve enjoyed my time here, but will be happy to come home.

Please forgive my lack of FB posts and Tweets, this has truly been a wild ride. I OWE my friends….

The Millefeuille Shawl was a big hit on Saturday!

PS: Just to add to the fun, my team also somehow managed to meet and greet 39 visiting knitters on  a Craft Cruise that dropped by the morning after John’s second release from hospital.  From all accounts, it was a whirlwind 60-minute visit (these tours keep a tight schedule), with knitters from as far away as Australia!  The Millefeuille Shawl was the big hit of the morning: it appears our samples made quite an impact.  Thanks also to Ilga, who had her samples and yarns set up in the office, and was a great help to my staff.