Adventures in Knitting: Garden Party Socks
Or why I *heart* Air Canada (and yes, Canadian readers, I have been told this is a controversial opinion).
Our flight back from the UK to Vancouver this summer was an eventful one, as we were returning on Air Canada flight chock-full of Canadian medal winners. I spent most the flight working on a pair of socks. I had started these socks back in Del Mar for Spring Break and had knitted the whole of the first sock and and was about three-quarters of the way through the second, representing hours and hours and HOURS of work. Towards the end of the flight, exhausted, I packed my knitting into its Ziploc bag and tucked into the seatback pocket in front of me (you can see where this is going can’t you?). AT the end of the flight we headed off into the maelstrom of an airport waiting to greet its returning Olympians and I didn’t give my socks another thought.
Of course, when we got home and I started to unpack, my knitting was nowhere to be found. I called Air Canada in a panic and spoke to a very friendly person in India who took all my details, but didn’t seem to have access to any lost and found information. I was told that lost items would be cleared from the plane and then sent to a central lost property facility and I would be informed if they turned up.
I have to admit to feeling disproportionately grumpy about the whole thing. It’s at times like this that you realise how much handmade things really mean; how very fond I had grown of my hippy clown barf socks made from one of a kind yarn; how certain I was that I could never be bothered to re-knit them; and how much of my time and myself I had invested in them.
Three weeks went by with no info, so I called again, spoke to another friendly person in India who had no access to specific details and was told that it was still possible the socks were making their way through the system. But by this stage I had sort of given up.
And then, about three weeks after that, a small package was left on my porch, with small Air Canada label on it. Could it really be? With my heart thumping I opened the package and there were my socks, returned to me courtesy Air Canada’s Central Baggage Office in Montreal. I tell you the Prodigal Son’s father wasn’t half as pleased to see him as I was to see them.
Here are my cuties in all their finished glory.
The yarn, Mansfield Garden Party by Madeline Tosh, is extraordinary. It changes colour every few centimetres through moss greens, sky blues, pastel pinks and lilacs and mustardy yellows and browns – yes, just like a garden in full bloom- and doesn’t pool excessively into huge splodges of colour. I used Cookie A’s BFF pattern which I thought worked fabulously with the yarn. It was interesting to knit , mixed up the yarn even more and was not overpowered by the variegated colour.
Goodness I love these guys. And how I LOVE Air Canada.
A friend was saying that a similar thing happened to her and now she always tucks a business card into her knitting bag. Why didn’t I think of that?
As a special bonus here are some pics the Canadian Olympians returning home. That was crazy fun.
Hurray for Air Canada! Although here on this side of the border WestJet has the better/friendlier reputation...methinks the many airline mergers have taken their toll.
But MOST important - hurray for the return of your knitted socks. And a lovely yarn it is too.
Posted by: Sandra | 16 October 2012 at 10:07 PM
Oh my goodness,your littley hugging the medalist is so, so cute. Glad about your socks, too.
Posted by: K | 16 October 2012 at 11:00 PM
That's the definition of customer service. Very happy that your sock was safely returned!
And I'm still chuckling at the 'hippy clown barf' description.
But please don't wear them with sandals.
Posted by: Lilian | 16 October 2012 at 11:57 PM
We are so glad to hear you got your socks back! I spoke to you and I knew they were very dear to you, unfortunately we hadn't received them in our office in Montreal yet - then one day - long after our conversation they miraculously appeared and there was no mistaking they were yours- It is such a pleasure to hear these great stories - makes our job that much better - thank you!
Posted by: Adele and JP | 17 October 2012 at 02:22 PM
Anyone that travels on regular basis knows that Air Canada is by far the best customer service of all ! You can't seriously compare Westjet to Air Canada, not even in the same category at all (comparing a small local airline to one of the biggest airline in the world...). Their commercials are very nice but if you lose anything on their aircraft, try to get it back, they have no lost & found system at all... And don't lose a bag with Westjet, worse. AC found a misplaced bag of mine after 3 months at one point (they never gave-up). Great story and very nice sox !!!
Posted by: Robert Smith | 17 October 2012 at 07:43 PM
This is a great story and I would think that AC would be all over that.
Posted by: nazila | 18 October 2012 at 06:43 PM