Knitting Dorks in Montreal

Clearly Kate has not had enough with the house guests, and is entertaining Ysolda this week, but I am still smiling about my little visit a whole week ago (time sure flies when you have a house to clean) when Kate's bff Irene and I descended upon her fold-out couch and limited power outlets. It's true, we bypassed the bagels, but Irene lives in New York and I have Abraham's in Newburyport.  I grew up in the Maritimes, so I am aware of the national reputation that Montreal bagels have in Canada, but the bagels, they are not so unusual south of the 49th parallel.  They are as common as squirrels here in New England, and usually respectable if not excellent.  It was the croissant that we gorged upon instead.  So forgive me my carb preferences. 
As an aside: I had a high school friend in New Brunswick, son of the local construction mogul, whose much older brother flew a helicopter since he had lost his car license for too many DUI's (seriously).  The family regularly flew up to Montreal for their Canadiens season's tickets, and often there would be bagels dropped off around the neighborhood when they returned, much like in the days before the Napoleonic donut wars, I used to deliver Krispy Kreme donuts to my Yankee friends after my family visits in South Carolina. These are the kind of little things that people remember at your funeral, you know?  But anyway . . .

When you stuff three knitting dorks in a small apartment, before too long you get crumbs, yarn, empty wine bottles and mumbling husbands.  So the knitting dorks went out to  . . .  the yarn store, natch.  Ariadne Knits in St. Henri, a stone's throw from the Atwater Market, and a jewel of a shop: colourful yarns, cute knit critters everywhere, Ozark Mountain Handspun (a first sighting for me, dear chums), two huge chintz couches, and a bottomless teapot. Not to mention croissant on the Sunday morning we were there, and a wheel that Molly Anne was checking out, having spun her first yarn ever the day before. What more could a whack of knitting dorks want more?  Except to hang out with other knitters, who filed in and out all day, including Mona Schmidt (designer of the Embossed Leaves socks Ravelry link), and the good humour of yarn store owners hostesses Molly Anne and Mary.  They know how to make a foreign knit dork feel at home.

It was a long and delightful day on the couch, the one on the right, next to the fireplace, where the slant of the April afternoon sun warms the cushions, and the table is in just the right place for your cup.  If you settle there yourself and find it a bit lumpy, it's because there is now a permanent dent in the exact shape of my arse. 

Comments

[Jodi]

Looks like so much fun!

[Bethe]

::sigh:: Sounds like a perfect time.

[Jen in CT]

Sounds so relaxing and fun! :-)

[Keatyn]

Are you speaking of Newburyport, MA? I live about 15-25 minutes away from there in Middleton.

[Laurie]

What a wonderful time! Just the right carbs, the right beverages, the right activities, and the right bailout to a yarn store.

[Manise]

MUst have been tons of fun!

[toni in florida]

Sounds like heaven!

[regina]

Looks like a grand time was had by all. Montreal bagels? The best. No contest (and I'm a life-long New Yorker).

[Lee Ann]

Damn. I didn't know you came up to visit...I would have joined you!

I actually don't like Montréal bagels. They do something to them that makes the outside taste like it's been dipped in something sugary, and not just the usual malt-water bath, and I prefer mine more like New York bagels, a bit salty, good with lox, etc.... Stephanie would rather eat a hockey puck than a NYC bagel and thinks I'm a fruitcake for liking them better, but...I can't help it. :-)

[Beth S.]

HA, I love that the yarn is displayed in booze crates. ;-)

[Sarahfish]

Man, I grew up in Montreal, my boyfriend still lives there, I am only 1.5 hours away, and still I haven't made it to any of the yarn shops there!! Ariadne Knits looks like a wonderful place. I'll be sure to shout out to the locals if I head over there.

As for the Montreal bagels, I have found the perfect substitute here in Ottawa, in the form of Kettleman's Bagels. Perfect. If I get them when they're still warm I'll devour 4 of them before I *make* myself stop!