Page 51 of Christmas Wishes

Doris laughed. “Yarn stores are like a candy shop. Treats in every color and texture you could ever need. Despite this being a small town, we’re lucky to have such a great yarn store. It’s even better than the ones in Flagstaff.” She selected a ball of several colors in one.

I stepped closer to study the yarn. “What’s it called when it changes colors like that?”

“Variegated.”

I gasped when I saw a variegated yarn in Pride rainbow colors in the cubby next to the one she’d pulled from. “This would make a fabulous scarf.” I pulled one off the top of the stack.

“You should make one. A scarf is basically an extra-long potholder.”

I was skeptical. “I’d never finish that.”

She leaned in and wore a mischievous smile. “That’s why you buy fancy yarn from a store like this instead of cheap acrylic stuff at a major chain. You finish it because you don’t want to waste the money.”

I laughed. “Very wise.”

“I’ve discovered a lot of excuses to buy the good stuff over the years. Let’s find a scarf pattern for you.”

“You’re such an enabler.”

Doris laughed mischievously as she led me to a bookshelf and picked out a few books and magazines with scarf patterns and beginner projects. She led us to two cozy armchairs with a table between them, then handed me half the books and magazines. “Let’s find you a scarf pattern.”

I liked the idea of starting a scarf project. Even if it was busywork that got me through the storm. I might even be able to crochet on the plane home. That might help distract me from leaving Riggs because I was already dreading it, which meant trouble.

“Look for ones that say they’re beginner patterns,” she said when I opened a scarf and hat pattern book.

I pointed out patterns I liked, and she explained the tricky points and gave her perspective on what would be doable and what might be a step beyond my current skills. I appreciated her honesty because there was no faster way to get me to abandon something than if it was frustratingly difficult. There was a difference between a fun challenge and an annoyance.

She showed me patterns from her books and flagged the ones I liked. After twenty minutes, I’d narrowed it down to three options.

Doris laid them on the table between us. “That one calls for multiple colors, which isn’t that big of a deal, but you’ll need to juggle a few skeins. That one is only one stitch, which is easier but can also be boring. This one would work beautifully with that rainbow variegated yarn and uses two stitches.” She pointed to the one I kept going back to.

“You had me at rainbow yarn.”

Doris smiled. “Perfect! How about you grab two skeins of it and a size G hook, and I’ll go get us two coffees? If you’ve got time, we can get started now. That way, you can easily keep it going when the storm comes in tonight. I brought my own project to work on as well.” She pointed to her oversized purse.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to eat up your entire morning.”

“This is infinitely more entertaining than spending time at the senior center and listening to people rehash the biggest storms of the past century. I lived through the February 2019 storm. I don’t want to keep hearing about it.”

I gave Doris my coffee order, then went to get the supplies she’d listed. I grabbed two more skeins in jewel tones Mom would love. I didn’t know how long it would take to finish one scarf, let alone two, but maybe I could pull off finishing both before Christmas. Or at least I could finish mine to work out the kinks, then make a nicer one for her birthday next month.

While the employee rang up my purchases, she complimented my eye makeup. Riggs had been right about Juniper Ridge. The people were either openly accepting of the untraditional elements of my aesthetic or didn’t comment if they weren’t.

Then, an idea hit—I could do makeup looks inspired by crochet projects. Finish something, then show it off while talking about how I matched the colors and texture with makeup. A giddy feeling raced up my spine. With each idea I got, the possibility of sustaining a dedicated account seemed more likely, but I still needed to figure out my brand. Combining crochet with makeup looks and tutorials and subverting gender norms didn’t create a succinct brand.

After completing my purchase, the employee showed me how to use the yarn cake winder, and I was busy winding my second cake when Doris returned.

“Look at you. If you get into this, you’ll have to get your own winder. It’s a game changer.”

I loved the shape of the yarn cake. I could picture an aesthetically pleasing stack of them behind me when doing videos. If there was a skylight in the upstairs suite in Riggs’s house, it would be the perfect home studio and craft room. I shook the fanciful thought away.

“Thanks for the coffee.”

She winked. “Got us cookies too.”

I inhaled the sweet aroma of the coffee. “You spoil me.”

We settled back into the same chairs, and Doris got me started on the scarf. It was touch and go for a while as I got the hang of going between two types of stitches and figuring out what part of the stitch to stick my hook into, but eventually, I got into a groove and Doris returned her attention to the hat she was working on.

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