Chloe X Angela Mayhoe
image via angela mayhoe
KNITTING WITH CHLOE
I took a sip of champagne and allowed its effervescence to explore the tip of my nose as I savored notes of peach, citrus and white flowers. After many years of consuming “good” champagne, each time I partake, I morph into a well seasoned sommelier and take mental notes of my experience. I silently mumble a ridiculous spiel, revealing the region of the wine, the varietal and the perfect pairing before being pleasantly amused by my quirky tendency.
It was exactly 2 years ago, minus a month or two, I was standing in this same courtyard, adorned in a navy blue polyester blend uniform wrapping my head around being back in the retail game. Chloé was my first bridge job that I was forced to take in order to pay bills while I was building my brand, Angela Mayhoe | KNIT. At the time, I was disappointed that I had to re-enter the workforce after making several attempts to grow my business a year earlier. Submerged in stress, I knew the money would soon run out but I continued to knit on my sofa day after day in an unknown state, waiting for the miracle of baby Jesus to visit me in my living room and gift me with an endless supply of resources, prosperity and maybe a soulmate. None of that happened - so back to work I went!
My experience at Chloè was that of a typical luxury shop girl; having her daily dose of styling clients and being the obligatory best friend to (insert name here - let’s say Sarah) purchasing the Marcie bag to make sure she picked the perfect size and color.
All of these memories came flooding back, as the intimate crowd began to slowly gather in unintentional groups as the hors d’eouvres were passed and more champagne was poured.
I casually introduced myself and commenced in mini conversations about my background while occasionally connecting with a guest on a similar interest. I would consider myself a classic textbook introvert but somehow I’m able to let that part of me fizzle out and maintain myself in a social setting. I definitely would contribute this to of years working in a hospitality environment.
We watched the SS22 Runway show, it was evident that Chloé has moved into an artisanship meets high fashion lane and I’m here for it. The collection was welcomed with hues of beiges, yellows, whites, pop of corals and intricately handcrafted details. In a nutshell - gorgeous.
Next up, it was my turn to entertain the group with my knit know-how and to translate my passion for the art form while maintaining my cool. I took a sip of champagne, this time the effervescence was delayed as the bubbles had already adapted to my nose and was bored by the constant upturn of my glass.
The first thing to learn about knitting minus the fact that there are over 720 stitches to master, is the cast on! Teaching this to a group with little to no knitting experience turns the lesson into a knitting demonstration. It personally took me about a couple of private lessons to remotely get the rhythm of the long tail cast on and another year or so for me to perfect my gauge and preferences - so no pressure here.
Taking cues from the last knitting class I taught, I used a story about three girlfriends going out for brunch to simulate the movement of the fingers in relation to the hands - in relation to the tension of the yarn - in relation to holding the yarn correctly so you don’t end up demonstrating the “childhood hand trap string trick” that we all could never master as 2nd graders.
This demonstration always begins with laughter as I refer to the strings of yarn as common names of women (depending on the crowd) that could range from Rebecca to Keisha. After the initial joke is understood and swallowed, then comes the “ah-ha moment” where the choreographed movements sink in and then everybody gets it!
By the time we get to this point, some of the experienced knitters go on to knit their first row while the others practice the “brunch” move a couple more times. After 10 minutes have past, the class is over and I do my closing monologue - in this case we sipped more champagne and had an amazing dinner.
