I am so excited to finally be able to share one of my latest finished projects with you and am equally excited to be able to slip on a pair of boots as my foot has made considerable progress in its healing this last week!  It would be easy, of course, to stand in some corner of the house to take pictures of these knitted projects but I always become inspired by a pattern’s design and begin creating a narrative as I knit.  Also, I realize how perfect these photo sessions are for the continuation of a memoir.  Maybe I am a romantic, but knitting is far more than a finished garment to me.

Designed by Tiny Owl Knits, this is a yoked pullover with stitches picked up under and around that yoke in which to form cables that continue around the body.  The cables evolve into a wonderful snake-like pattern near the hem.  I love the uniqueness of the design and, as one knits, one can’t appreciate enough the delicious yarn, Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino in its softness and its color.

I had been pondering the vignette that could be told with snakes.  Snakes, parseltongue, Harry Potter, I read the series.  Train tracks beckoned.  So…

But, the sun was too strong and traffic, heavy. One thing led to another and we found ourselves heading to a local museum called

Oddly, we had never been there before, figured it would be closed, but could take outside shots.

Much to our surprise, the doors were not only open but someone greeted us to take us on a tour, a personal tour!  We explained what we were doing and next thing we knew, we were asked if we wanted to go IN some of the original train cars that were on the site to continue the photographing!  And, the history lesson began.  Now, I don’t know if any of you know anyone who is slightly obsessed with anything, but when you are one-on-one with a train “expert”, there is no turning back!  And, this is NOT a pun!

So, here I am at the stairway of the original caboose that accompanied the engine that traveled from Tonawanda Island to where it stands today (North Tonawanda). The caboose, at this time, is in renovation but is open to viewing throughout the museum’s season, typically the summer months.

Steve must have been impressed with us, he actually let me sit in the engineer’s seat of the original engine!  Talking the entire while about where and how this particular engine had been, we tried to sneak in a shot or two.

We were led inside the museum where the personal tour continued.  Apparently, while Steve is responsible for all guests outside, Jim is his counterpart inside.  You might as well forget all about knitting and set yourself for his outstandingly thorough rendition of trains, railroads, hand-made signs, and tools of the era; a self-written presentation complete with artifacts of and from his own life.  But, how could I complain?  Don’t forget why we were there…. I mean who else goes to such lengths for a photo shoot but someone who is obsessed about their own craft?

I do have an appreciation of some of the handiwork of hand painted signs of the past.

and also I was taken with the record keeping of train travel, written by hand, on these massive scrolls. What caught my attention was the fact that this was the method as recent as 1972??  Seems so primitive!

I am very gracious to the museum for its tour and for the fine work they are doing in collecting and archiving our railway history.  And, I thank them for their hospitality and individual attention.

Back to knitting, I am always a little curious as to what grabs my attention when choosing a project.  And, I am always happy when my attention turns to the unexpected, as in this design with a parseltongue like feel as it lets me know there is a bit of make-believe in me and I am allowing life to be joyous and light-hearted at times and we all need a little bit of that.