you are yarnista
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 10:35PM That's what my website told me when I logged in today.
It's useful to be reminded who we are once in a while. I know I tend to forget.
Dear Blog,
Who am I? I forget.
Love,
Me
************
Dear Yarnista,
You are Yarnista.
Love,
Your Blog, The Yarnista
************
I'm glad I have these reminders, what with my early onset Alzheimer's disease and my debilitating chocolate addiction.
The air up here is very thin. I sometimes require supplemental oxygen.
Here I am, with my basket of Royal Commemorative Colorways for the royals themselves.
Look, I'm wearing a green coat and yellow shoes. Do you have anything you'd like to say about that?
How about my height? Anything?
I am taller in person than I am online.
Maybe I've mentioned a couple of times that we had some royal visitors to my fair city of the North.
And that I made them some stuff? Mentioned it ever?
On Monday it was time to deliver it.
The Norwegian embassy would not tell us an exact time or location for security purposes. I knew it would be Monday. I just didn't know where or when.
Because I had to be ready at a moment's notice, I combed my hair before leaving for the studio that morning.
It's the least I could do.
The phone rang. I was given a name, a number, and a location, and basically told, "Come in the next five minutes." I didn't have time to change or try to look less homeless.
When we all arrived at the restaurant where we were supposed to meet to deliver the yarn so it could screened by the Norwegian royal advance team, no one was there. I called the cell phone number I was given, and told to go to an alternate location.
(Hello? I have the cell phone number of the Norwegian royal family's social secretary. It's programmed into my phone, just in case I ever need it.)
When we (and by we, I mean anyone at the studio who wanted to come along) arrived at the second location, we found sheets covering the red carpet leading up to the ballroom where the advance team was waiting.
I handed my camera over to Boy Aaron, forgetting that I still had the outdoor sunlight exposure settings dialed in. (Here is one of the disadvantages of a schmancy camera: no auto setting for occasions like this.)
I introduced myself (no, I did not say, "I am Yarnista"), and in the back of my mind, I could hear the shutter of my camera being left open too long. Instead of the sprightly ticktickticktick of multiple exposures being fired in succession, I heard CAAAAA-LICK. CAAAAAAA-LICK. CAAAAAA-LICK.
If you know what I'm talking about, you already know the outcome of a handheld camera indoors and the sound CAAAAAAA-LICK.
If you don't, here's the result in visual terms:
Blur. Camera shake. It's my fault for not changing the camera settings when we went into the much darker room.
But once we were introduced, I couldn't very well stop and say, "Excuse me, I hear my camera CAAAAAA-LICKing, could you hold just a moment?"
I explained what our gift was and why it was significant. They listened. They asked relevant questions about what kind of yarn it was, wool, silk, alpaca. They touched it.
They said thank you.
They smiled. They assured me they would get it right away, and that they would keep it. I think I might have heard them say that the queen would love it because she loves knitting, but I may have hallucinated that.
We left. I felt happy and relieved.
Happy that I had done what I had set out to do, relieved that it was over. This process was more than a bit nerve wracking, especially for someone who is naturally an introvert like I am. Now I could just sit back and watch from behind the security lines where I belonged.
When the king and queen arrived (she is on the center left, he is in the front left), I noticed right away that she was wearing bright orange. It looks a bit red here, but it wasn't. And she paired it with a pink, purple, and red scarf. "You go," I thought to myself. "You go ahead and rock some bright colors, Ms. European Royalty."
Let us all take a moment to consider the facts.
1. Queen Sonja is lovely, but she is not 19 years old.
2. Queen Sonja is a queen. Queen of a real European country, and her picture is taken frequently.
3. If a grandmotherly monarch can wear vibrant colors, knowing full well her appearance will be catalogued by the press, you can too. Chances are you are not a monarch, European or butterfly, and you very likely do not travel with a press corps. Which is just all the more reason that you can get away with something other than a sedate, neutral outfit. If Queen Sonja can do it, so can you.
I was so struck by the color of her jacket and scarf, that I started looking at her pictures from other official functions. I discovered that she really likes to wear white and cream. But Queen Sonja also has a penchant for color. Here she is in a purple suit with and orange print scarf underneath.
In a cream coat and hat over and orange dress.
Another orange dress.
And here is when I knew deep down that she would like my yarn. That magenta coat. Oh my.
Deep strawberry fuchsia. Plus emerald jewels. (Oh look, a complementary color palette.)
And just earlier this week at a different function in Minnesota, another orange dress.
Dear Your Royal Highness,
Did I say that correctly? Sources vary on the correct way to address a figurehead monarch.
I am Yarnista.
I hope you will enjoy knitting with my yarn. Given that you like warm, vivid colors, I think you're going to love Hawk Ridge. And Skyline Parkway will be perfect knit into a scarf to wear under your magenta coat.
Thank you for coming to my little corner of the globe.
Most Sincerely,
Huge Dork
Is that how you would sign a letter to the queen, too? I thought so. Maybe tomorrow my website will say "You are Huge Dork" when I sign in.
You can see some more pictures of the royal visit here.
You can read a little blurb about our commemorative edition yarns in our local newspaper here.
You can read a profile of Three Irish Girls from the same day's paper here.
And you can register for this Saturday's studio tour using this info. This is my last public appearance until March of 2012. I'm taking some much-needed time off from traveling, but will no doubt look forward to getting back into the classroom next year. Come say hello while you can! We only give studio tours once a year.
See you Saturday!
And just in case you were wondering, I am Yarnista.
Reader Comments (25)
You are so cute! I think it is fantastic that you put all of this together and figured out how to get it to the Queen. Simply awesome and I am sure she was just positively tickled and in love with the gift! Gorgeous, unique and...well, just perfect!
I met you at an event over the summer and was too shy to ask to have a picture with you. Now I'm kicking myself since you are like one degree of separation from royalty and all. :-) I guess I'll have to take a picture of myself with the commemorative yarn I ordered and Photoshop you in. hee hee!
Seriously, you rock! Congrats!
You are a RIOT!. And you look good in magenta (I've not seen that sweater before - HAHA!)
Dear Yarnista - The Tower of Duluth
The walkways and sidewalks of Duluth have always needed towers, and yes someone who is slow in the morning to a point of it even catching on with the camera shutter was a true blessing to her country.
As she was the MN verson of the Statue of Liberty but in a walking and moving form :-)
You see now, she not only blesses those who enter from the east coast but also to those who also enter from the east of the inland lakes.
I pray that Yarnista takes advantage of all this new found vision and attention, as it could be a real blessing. The question now is does she speak the language of the Northern lights?
Blessings
Larry
<"}}}><
You are a bit of a stalker, yes?
Stalker? Me? Moi? Stalker?
Oh my, you crack me up! One of my Craftsy students has been trying to convince me we both need ALL the royal colors, I think she almost has me : )! I love your writing style and might just go all fan girl on you, watch out!
Thanks, Laura! They are only available until Saturday... and they are beautemous...which is not a word but should be...
;P
How very cool. I liked how you had your own royal entourage!
I bet she was inspired to knit something right away. I bet she is knitting a beautiful shawl right now.
Being another natural born introvert I can only imagine how nerve racking it all was. Congrats!
Sharon, you truly ARE Yarnista...and your blogs are always fresh and fun to read. Thanks for taking us along on the Royal visit. Now, when I wear the shawl I plan to make myself from Skyline Parkway, I will feel like ...well, royalty!
HAHAHA You rock. She likes orange from the looks of it! :) But boy, that deep magenta coat is to DIE for...*drool* Lady's got style! :)
Look at you go...reaching out and making all your wild and crazy dreams come true and allowing all of us to take part through this blog. During your time off you may want to have a little camera class for boy Aaron so future publicity stills really are still. And you have to identify the staff in the photo of all of you strolling down the street.
I can't wait for my audience with HRH Yarnista and hopefully Yarnista's Mama as well in Syracuse in March! I will bring chocolates and coffee, can you bring a few skeins of yarn? :)
Oh and I also have yellow shoes; shall I wear them in Syracuse? It will help you to recognize me....
ooohhhh in that first picture of Queen Sonja you can see the Grand-Duchess Maria-Theresa of Luxembourg, who also likes to wear bright colors!
I noticed that too, Eva! Beautiful.
When I saw the first picture of you and your compatriots walking I didn't think you were tall, but I did think everyone else was kind of short. lol
Sharon, I am so excited about this whole thing! Congratulations again! For your accomplishment, for keeping your dignity ;) and just for being so cool that Norwegian royalty wanted your yarn!
You are a gracious and generous woman. Queen Sonja is lucky to have a basket of your beautiful yarns, and judging from her love of color, she knows it! Wouldn't it be great to catch a later photo of her (or a grandchild) wearing something she made from your yarns? :)
Oh man, that would be a dream come true, Marian! I just might be able to die happy.
You are Yarnista, yes.
But you are also daughter.
And firstborn.
And sister.
And niece.
And auntie.
And granddaughter.
And mother to three of the seven most wonderful grandchildren in the world.
And wife to a fine man who couldn't be more loved by our family.
And helper.
And friend.
And goof.
You are NOT a huge dork. I'm in a huff over that one. :)
Do you think any of your readers would like a little contest? Something to put their heads together on to figure out something you said when you were 18 months old? Maybe the winner could receive an ugly skein of yarn or something, if there even is such a thing in your studio. :)
When Sharon was 18 months old she was standing (tall) at our front window in a small German village, wispy blonde hair pulled back by barrettes, and big blue eyes looking out at the goings on.
"Mama! Doodle-ah MO-sah-see! Doodle-ah MO-sah-see!"
And she turned and looked at me as she smiled and pointed outside, and being her mother, of course I understood exactly what she said.
Any guesses?
Yarnista - How fabulous to know your yarns are in the care of royalty! I think I would have requested an update on where these yarns may go from here; who will pet them, admire them, rewind them, create with them, wear them....
I was excited to read your post today for several reasons.
First, today I am wearing the EXACT same color sweater you are in the photo.
Secondly, I purchased a black and white plaid coat over the weekend, and today bought two skeins of Elowen on Galenas Merino to make mitts and a scarf to wear with them (it's delightful, and perfectly fits your comments on color!!)
And thirdly, the Takk for Maten Cafe...oh my goodness, what memories, my dad would say that to my mother as he finished dinner every night (he was Norwegian). If I'm ever in your 'hood, I'll have to get my own photo there!!
I am offended that your mother doesn't think that being a HUGE DORK isn't a GOOD thing. 8-) I take great pride in my own dorkdom. 8-)
What an exciting day for you - and for us too - living vicariously through you, the one and only TRUE Yarnista!