Russell Kirkpatrick's Journal
Trudi Hat
06-Jun-2008
It's minus 2.8 degrees, frosty and so perfect for golf. Before I go, time to get the Trudi Hat.
Timely I should talk about the Trudi Hat, given Trudi and Paul have just finished visiting. Trudi is a successful writer and Paul is an even more successful minder, whose mission is to prevent Trudi purchasing enough wool to put NZ's Balance of Payments into the black (and Australia's further into the red). That he succeeded was no thanks to me, who carted Trudi to as many wool shops as I could find.
We had a great time with them. I drove them from Christchurch to Queenstown at the start of their visit, then two weeks later they spent four nights with us in Hamilton. We saw glow-worms and kiwis, hot pools and mist, and the interior of wool shops, record stores and antique stores. I kept the central locking active and bored them silly with whatever drivel I could come up with - history, geology and other outright lies.
They're gone now, but I have the Trudi Hat on my table. A couple of years ago, when I was last in Queenstown (with Ellen Datlow) I found some possum/merino wool. Sounded interesting, so I bought a few balls and sent them to Trudi, who I know is an avid knitter. (Is there any other kind?) Thought nothing more of it until later that year when I went over to Melbourne for a convention. Trudi welcomes me with a beanie and scarf knitted out of the wool I'd sent. This brought a tear to my eye, and the flow of joy was only increased when she pointed out how narrow the scarf was - not because she'd run out of wool, she claimed, but because I have very little neck. I might not have much neck, but Trudi had a lot of front! (It's an expression, Trudi.)
So today I get to use it in anger for the first time.