Remembering 9/11
I'll never forget #911 I was a #flightattendant with #AmericanAirlines
Being a flight attendant began knitting just before 9/11, at the time, I was an American Airlines Flight Attendant. Just before 911, I finally got to a point in my career where I had lots of flexibility and time off. One day I while at a craft store in my neighborhood, I saw a learn to knit book and thought to myself, “hmmn, if there is a book called “teach yourself to knit," I must be able to do this . So, I purchased the book, yarn, needles and off I went. Ok, so now I'm settling in at home, comfy, poured a glass of wine, got out my needles, yarn and the book.
As a native New Yorker I am in touch with fashion and what people wear. When I was a flight attendant, I prided myself in having a rare opportunity to in real time witness all the trends, which varied from city to city, coast to coast. I really helped me develop my own personal style. On a flight to JFK, I met my favorite designer at the time Betsy Johnson. I told her how much I loved her designed and that i felt as if they were made just for me. “My fit model IS, your size”, she said.
I could not figure it out for the life in me yarn and needles going every which way and no stitches being made. I packed my yarn, needles and book in my bag, I was leaving for fort lauderdale the next day and i had a 24hour layover, plenty of time to sort this out. The next day I, to my surprise, my friend Jeff, a knitter was working the first class cabin. As soon as the main cabin first beverage service finished I went to the first class galley where Jeff was knitting a beautiful Aran Cable blanket, and sat on the jump seat beside him. He showed me how to do the knit stitch in about 5 minutes! I practiced the knit stitch through the entire flight Just before landing, he showed me the purl stitch, “just remember, he said, your Aunt Pearl is backwards." Knitting is two stitches, Knit and Purl the purl stitch is the knit stitch backwards. Interestingly enough, I do have and Aunt Pearl, my mother's youngest sister.
Knitting on layovers kept me out of the mall, shopping is a flight attendant's favorite sport. We know how to live a 250k lifestyle on 25k.
I visited yarn shops on every layover including DFW 4th of july - Jenning street yarns.
When I couldn’t find the perfect sweater to go with my leather pants, I decided to just knit to knit it. After flying all around the world, my search was over. I was in Chicage when I saw the owner of a yarn store knitting with exactly the yarn I wanted. I made a sweater to match my leather pants using the unique furry yarn I discovered. I was able to make the perfect sweater I could not find I'll never forget how liberating it was to make what I could not buy. Years later I ran into Betty, the owner at a trade show for yarn store owners. "Of course you did" she said
Days after 911, the Captain would ring us flight attendants, we'd discretely dim the cabin lights as we flew over ground zero, it appeared to be a ghostly hole of smoked filled earth lit like a football field.
Going to work was like going to battle, F-16's escorting the aircraft as we neared JFK airport more than once. For the first time in my life, I thought about how much my daughter would miss me if anything were to happen. I also realized being a good employee seemed more important than my life.
I knit with lightning speed and without looking because after 911 I'd sit in the last row DC10 watching the cabin, focus, Knitting really helped relieve post 911 anxiety.
I thought of an alternative career where I have control over my own destiny Starting a business really suited me, because I am at my best when I am doing something creative.
I made chunky fitted turtle neck pullover after 911 on my way to Barbados for vacation At the time, security was extra tight and there was a concern about bringing needles on a airplane So the needles I used for the sweater were size 17 circular plastic needles. They were ideal because they looked like (ballpoint) pens.
Although I loved being a flight attendant, when the airline industry took a hit after 911, a career in the airline industry was more volatile than usual. I thought about how much of my life was spent working, flying across the country several times a month, and decided it needed to be both fulfilling and rewarding. I wanted to make a living and a life.
During my career as a Flight Attendant with American Airlines, I watched many crew members and passengers alike knit to soothe themselves and pass time. This is exactly what happened to me I was in a knitting store, I would create my schedule around spending Saturday mornings at the knitting store
Jeanee, I want to open a knitting store. You should mommy! 6 months later I did. I opened the store 14 years ago. Knitting is my passion, my store #fashionknit is the result.
