Do you believe in Angels?

I just had an email from one. Her name is Dindga McCannon and she is an author, illustrator and talented textile artist from New York.

She materialised in front of my eyes almost a year ago to this day at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Ally Pally when I was looking for someone I had never even seen a photograph of but knew was a black artist. I had been stalking anyone who looked as they they might be my “target”. When I walked up to Dindga and said for the umpteenth time, “excuse me, are you …..?” she smiled and replied, “no but she’s a good friend of mine.” How weird was that? We spent a day together last October (pic above is of Dindga outside the Geffrye Museum on that day) and we have kept in spasmodic contact since. Weeks ago she told me she would probably pop over for the show again this year but we haven’t emailed recently and I decided not to go this year. Last year I bought some Habo stainless steel yarn and I haven’t knitted it up yet because I didn’t ever allow myself enough time to get to grips with the Japanese knitting diagrams. Feeling guilty about that particular part of my stash I thought it best to stay at home with my debit card out of harm’s way.

So suddenly, up popped an email from this textile angel asking me to meet her at a set time “by the giant knitting needles”.  I emailed back saying I wasn’t going this year but she took the trouble to phone me straight away and persuaded me to get out of the house for the day.

Giant knitting needles here I come!