Misadventures at Purl Soho: The Story of How I Met Katie Holmes

This is exactly what I looked like in this story. We definitely knew how to have fun at Purl.

This story goes hand in hand with my previous blog post. I thought it would be a fun one to share.

One day at Purl Soho, our manager told us that we needed to sell more knitting patterns and kits. She encouraged us to wear the knitted samples so that customers could visualize the products. I happened to choose the Colorflow Garter Wrap (pattern here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2019/01/23/colorflow-garter-wrap/ ) and wrapped it around my shoulders like a cloak. I began to have fun with it and walked around like some sort of royal person. My coworkers and I all had a good laugh about it. One of them even joined in and gave me a double pointed needle and a ring to use as a shawl pin. It was fun, funny, and it worked. I was having so much fun modeling it and showing it off to customers. A few of them actually bought some kits to make the wrap!

Then, a tall couple approached me.

“I really like your shawl,” the woman said, “it’s like a cloak!” We were all smiles and excitement.

I respond like any good sales associate would.

“Thank you! It’s our Colorflow Garter Wrap!”

I showed them the tag with the name of the pattern and pointed out the DIY kits for the wrap.

To my surprise, she and the man she was with looked kind of stunned. They exchanged nervous glances with each other, as if they were surprised I didn’t recognize them. I wasn’t expecting this reaction. I was hoping to try and sell them on the kit or at least on some yarn, but things end up getting awkward and quiet. Neither party knew what to do at this point, so we just went about our business. The store was packed, so I carry on doing the good work of peddling luxury yarn to customers in need.

Then I catch up with one of my coworkers at the cash register. I must admit, I was not ready for this conversation.

Seriously, I was not ready for that conversation!

“I can’t believe Katie Holmes complemented your shawl!”

I was caught completely off guard.

“Uhh, who’s Katie Holmes?”

My coworker was incredulous.

“You don’t know who Katie Holmes is?? The woman who complimented your shawl!” …There were a few women who complemented that shawl.

I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights because then my coworker starts listing off all the shows and movies Katie Holmes was in.

“Have you never seen Dawson’s Creek?? First Daughter?? Miss Meadows??” The answer to all of those was no. I have never claimed, nor ever will claim, to be pop culture savvy. I’m sure Katie Holmes is a nice person and a phenomenal actress, but I just had never seen her stuff. I basically just live under a rock and knit.

“Batman Begins????”

“Yes, I’ve seen that but it’s been a few years.” There is no way I was going to remember anyone other than Christian Bale from that movie.

At this point my coworker was visibly frustrated with my ignorance. I peeled off to go help more customers find the yarn of their dreams.

When I returned to the register, my coworker had Googled Katie Holmes and pointed out the pictures to me.

“There! That’s Katie Holmes!”

I was stunned.

“Wow,” I said, “She looks exactly like that woman who complemented my shawl!”

I’m pretty sure my coworker wanted to tear my head off hahahaha.

After that day, modeling shawls at work became a regular occurrence. It was a fun time. I miss those days.

I hope you enjoyed this one! See you in the next post.

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COVID: Locked Down but Uplifted

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Fair Knits and Following Purls