Role Model

 Yesterday I received a newspaper clipping

in the mail from my sister-in-law

titled Annis Holmes' Yarns .

Here I have been carrying on

about being seventy and knitting

up a storm and having a blog

and, and...

Well, Annis Holmes is ninety.

She runs a yarn shop six days

a week and by appointment.

In 2007 she won the 

North Country Heritage Award.

She was celebrated for the

hundreds of knitters she taught

and encouraged and for the

patterns she developed.

 

Her accomplishments are legion.

Annis knitted a pair of buff mitten ( double layered

wool mittens worn by woodsmen in the 1800's) 

for the  The Adirondack Museum using a new stitch

she developed so that the mittens can be knitted 

with any type of yarn not just wool.

She has published four books  of her

original patterns including one book

of buff mitten patterns.

Early on in the snowmobile craze

she created patterns depicting

snowmobiles and other outdoor sports

that could be knitted into sweaters

or vests.

"People don't go in for patterns

on sweaters so much anymore," she

said. But she still does one-of-a kind

knitting.

She has a website and sells her books

online. And does the mailing herself.

I am so impressed.

I mean I am only only seventy.

I'm thinking I best get up to speed.

For starters, I'm going to write 

to  Annis Holmes... today.

I just have to meet this  talented knitter.

Maybe I could join her group

some Thursday afternoon,

If you are going to have a role model

you should get up close and catch

those vibes.

Don't you think?