My theory is that if you ride the F train for enough years, and enough times a day, you will eventually cross paths with everyone in this city. Sometimes you know it, sometimes you don't. Just a couple of weeks ago, my friend Dena met someone in a bar because they recognized her from the F train, and had been listening to a funny conversation she and I were having about a woman whose stated policy on friendship is that she only befriends attractive people. The listener told Dena later that she looked at us and thought to herself, they're probably attractive enough to be friends with her.
We already know that knitting, in particular, brings people together on the subway, even if it isn't some kind of holiday. (If another Spanish tourist tells me his grandma "does that" then asks me to knit him a sweater - or a "jumper" - on the subway, I might scream. Not to be unfriendly or xenophobic. But this exact conversation has occurred twice already!). On the way to class today, I was on the train furiously recovering lost ground on Birch. A woman got on and asked me whether my project was made with Kidsilk Haze. We talked for a few minutes and it turned out it was Debbie Stoller, author of the Stitch 'n' Bitch books and Editor of Bust Magazine! We chatted for quite a while until I had to get off at West 4th. She is so friendly and down-to-earth - I hope our paths cross again. She didn't ask me to make her a jumper, but if I see her often enough... well, you never know.
Posted by jess at January 27, 2006 10:48 AMHow cool is THAT!?
Posted by: Scout at January 27, 2006 6:27 PMRight on! That's fun!
Posted by: caro at January 27, 2006 6:36 PMDamn, and you probably didn't have a copy of Stitch'n'Bitch with you for her autograph. Too fun!
Posted by: Chris at January 27, 2006 6:38 PMYou just never run into famous people in Wyoming! It's very cool that she's actually nice and down-to-earth.
Posted by: Stephanie at January 27, 2006 6:48 PMWow, that's like meeting knitting royalty! Hope Birch #2 is coming along nicely:)
Posted by: Kelly at January 27, 2006 6:59 PMI love running into people like that! I'm so glad she's cool and down to earth. It would be really dissappointing if she wasn't. Good luck with the rest of Birch; I can't wait to see it :)
Posted by: Rachel at January 27, 2006 8:01 PMThat is too cool. I never run into celebrities in the city. Even tho I'm there every effing day. David Hasselhoff once tapped me on the shoulder and asked me for directions in front of Hunter College. I guess that counts but he's no Debbie Stoller, let me tell you.
Posted by: Sandra at January 27, 2006 9:03 PMI saw Debbie at Knit-A-Way in Brooklyn once! I was totally star-struck! So great to know she's local.
Posted by: Lisa at January 27, 2006 10:10 PMHow cool!
Posted by: Angela at January 28, 2006 3:14 AMWow, that's the ultimate celebrity sighting for a knitter in New York! I'll have to keep my eyes peeled on my daily F train journey.
Posted by: megan at January 28, 2006 8:45 AMSmall world! That's a cool story. Debbie Stoller would strike me as down to earth and friendly, just like you said.
Posted by: Cathy at January 28, 2006 9:00 AMThat is such a cool experience. To connect with any knitter like that I think is cool, but especially a famous one.
Posted by: Colleen at January 28, 2006 9:07 AMOMG-Debbie Stoller commenting on your knitting--how cool!
Posted by: courtney at January 28, 2006 10:54 AMClearly you're missing an opportunity here. When you should do is only knit sweaters, or rather "jumpers", when you're taking the F-train anywhere. Keep a few of them handy and almost...done for this purpose.
Get on the train and wait for the next Spaniard to join you in conversation and ask for that specific garment of clothing, and then point out that you are, in fact, making a sweater for him. Then charge him quite a bit for it.
If possible, look up the most popular name in Spain, and knit that name into the sweater, that'll just make the trick seem like you're psychic.
If he refuses to buy it at your outrageous pricing, look him in the eyes and say "I know where you live, you should really buy this sweater" and point your knitting needles at him.
Best if you say this in Spanish.
Might take a bit of work, but it only has to hit once to get quite a bit of money out of someone.
Posted by: David Schloss at January 28, 2006 11:23 AMWe don't have a train like that in Kansas. Full of Spaniards and famous knitters. Lucky you! :)
Posted by: Laura at January 28, 2006 5:11 PMAwesome!
Posted by: chica at January 28, 2006 9:58 PMThat really is amazing, Jess. It is really great to find out that she is so friendly too!
Have a good one!
Posted by: Lolly at January 30, 2006 10:33 AMSpanish boys ask for sweaters because spanish knitters are too busy knitting shawls :P
Nice blog!
Very cool! nice to hear that's she's down to earth!
Posted by: Aimee at January 31, 2006 1:53 PMCooool ! But even to meet somebody asking whether you're knitting with Kidsilk Haze would be something.. You know, a fellow knitter connoiseur ! ;-)
Posted by: sylvie at February 1, 2006 4:21 AMWow, that is such fun... what a lovely surprise!
Posted by: jess at February 1, 2006 3:20 PM¡Ay, chica! How cool! I love the Stitch n' Bitch book. It is what started me knitting. And then to meet the lady. Wow!!
Posted by: moody knitter at February 6, 2006 11:48 AMOkay I am now switching to the F train. I can personally attest there are almost no knitters on the A or 2/3 trains. While no one has asked me to knit them anything, I do often get "How do you do that?"...how on earth do you answer that question??
Posted by: Stephanie at February 7, 2006 2:32 PMWhen you should do is only knit sweaters, or rather "jumpers", when you're taking the F-train anywhere. Keep a few of them handy and almost...done for this purpose.