First Person
Postcard from Nashville, Ice Storm Edition
Dear all,
There’s ice everywhere, isn’t there? In Minnesota, the cold-hearted kind is being melted by the fury of people who are not taking it. My heart goes out to the people of Minneapolis, who are demonstrating a resolve and a moral fire that is profoundly inspiring. I’m drawing courage from theirs, and hoping that our country can survive what is happening to it.
In Nashville, a second form of ice has arrived, as if one form weren’t bad enough. It’s a glossy, frozen coating on every outdoor surface, from streets to cars to houses to power lines to—unnervingly—every tree and shrub. The cracking of tree limbs—like a rifle shot—is a sound we’re all going to carry with us for a long time. It’s often hard to tell where the limb is that’s giving way, and you wonder if it’s the one over your roof.
Half the city has lost power, and the devil of it is that the deep freeze will persist for the week. Wind on a brittle, ice-weighted tree is murderous. The Nashville Electric Service crews are working around the clock repair the lines, yet newly broken limbs take down their work. They’re making progress, though, and our gratitude is enormous.
At the moment, I keep thinking about cold and warmth and the gift that knitting provides, as Elizabeth Zimmermann put it, through all crises.
Meanwhile…
I’ve managed to make three motley swatches—one by the gloom of our gas logs, before we left the house on Sunday for a place with electricity. How did people in the 19th century do anything? All respect to knitters working by candlelight.
s
No tapestry needle, unblocked, here’s our Jane yarn in Caladium, that hot pink, when paired with (from left) Heather, Yorkshire, and Citronelle.
For those of you joining just now, these swatches are for the spectacular, dazzling knitalong that begins tomorrow, January 30: Bang Out a Sweater, where we’ll all be knitting the Waffle Pullover by Amy Christoffers, from Field Guide No. 29: Mosaic.
Read all about it here.
Our three-session virtual class begins tomorrow, starring the marvelous Lorilee Beltman. Sign up here.
And use whatever yarn you like, but if Jane is piquing your curiosity, you’l find 22 colors of it here. Note that the undyed color, Yorkshire, will be back in stock at the end of February. We’re finding Frost, a light gray, to be a fine replacement.
Finally, if it weren’t so dreadful, the ice would be so beautiful.
And, when you need to insulate your door, you’re so Nashville if you use a mic stand to hold up your Kaffe Fassett quilt.
When I see this beautiful quilt, I think of Elmira Sanders in Greenville, Alabama, who made it 20 years ago, using the shirts of Jon’s beloved dad. I wish they could see this setup.
Love,
Ann
If only we could even out the second form of ice in your part of the world with the 40deg Celsius days and bushfires of the last couple of weeks in southern states of Australia – would make for more comfortable knitting conditions for everyone.
And I can only echo your sentiments for the first kind.
Knit the RED HATS folks!!!
It will keep you warm and show solidarity!!
This gives me an opportunity to buy Jane in scarlet!
Oh yes!
Oh I love ALL those hot pink Caladium versions! So sorry, Ann. All that ice seems extreme even for a northerner who’s lived through plenty of ice and snow and no-electricity. It’s the unpredictability of ice, like you said, that is so unnerving and none of the fun of snow. I often wonder how the homeless can withstand it. (Of course, not all of them do.). Love the solace of that stunning quilt to dwell on. I hope knitting is bringing you solace as well.
Take care and keep safe and warm. We think we are cold in England but we are so fortunate not to be as frozen up as you xx.
Gorgeous quilt! I just completed a memorial t shirt quilt for my brother, who would have turned 71 tomorrow. Definitely not even remotely classy as your quilt, but it is a good reflection of his personality!
The generational difference in the shirts is striking, but the emotional weight is the same. I want to see your quilt, Wendy!
Check out my Instagram post today!
Ann,
I’ve thought of you often over the past week.
I hope you are warm & enjoying electrification when you read this.
And yes, Minneapolis: we are all shocked & praying for the very strong souls who call that city their home. May this nightmare end soon for all.
Sending warm wishes…
Spinning is the best for extended power outages. When mine was out for a week a few years ago I set up a wheel every evening as soon as it got too dark to knit and spun by candlelight. Extremely relaxing!
Thank you fot taking a stand on the horrors in Minnesota
We can now knit “melt the ice hats “
They are red resistance hats modeled after the resistance
To nazi invasion ln 1940 in Norway
Ha! MELT ICE is on my sign for the 50501 march in Atlanta this Sunday! Is there one in your city?
Sadly, you have politically aligned your business against more than half of the country. Perhaps you all need to get reliable news sources which is not main stream media.
Thank you so much for your comment! They are offending more than half of their customers.
PS Thank you to “former supporter.”
Mo, Tell me more. Where is the Atlanta March? I want to join in!
Oh, Ann, ice storms are so pretty and so dangerous! Hoping you and yours are keeping safe. And that you make it to NYC for VKLive! I can’t make it to the MDK meetup, so sorry, but hope to see you in the market. Do you know where you’ll be?
Knitting by candlelight. Even worse than knitting by evening lamp. Sometimes the colors fool you, and it’s a revelation in daylight. Your swatches are so pretty.
Love your innovative use of mic stand!
Ice Ice everywhere…I like to see the beauty in the ice you’re experiencing, though it is dangerous…but the ICE here in Minneapolis is very hard to take. This whole community is banding together in a way that I’ve never seen. Singing resistance, marching, standing in the -20 below weather along major streets on our beautiful Minnehaha Creek Parkway holding signs in silence. It’s heartwarming, but I fear we will not be able to recover from this horror.
Sending warmth and peace and lots of knitting.
Your quilt is AMAZING!!!!
Leah your city is inspiring the nation and the world. Sending warmth back to you, and all the comfort of knitting you can manage to get.
I’d love to be able to swap a bit of both of our weather’s. It’s reached 50c in parts of Australia over the last few days. A bit cooler where I live but very hard to have the energy to do much at all, I can’t imagine what it would be like to live with ice and snow. Wrap up in your Woolies and keep warm and please keep clear of all ice.
Wishing you and all safety and fortitude in the face of these dual crises. I’m in bitter cold Iowa, and I too am taking comfort in the ‘the gift that knitting provides’ while I work as fast as I can on a red Norwegian resistance hat.
Ann, I have been thinking of you and your families – at home and at MDK. You are so right about the sound of limbs cracking! It is an ungodly sound and eerily recognizable to anyone who has experienced it – Tulsa, December 2007. Until then, I thought of it as an inconvenience and something to be wary of – “Turn in the direction of the skid” – but while other parts of the country may experience it more frequently, there is nothing that wakes up a southern community like weather for which it is ill-prepared. The Weather Channel crew is never a good sight. As Clara says “Onwards”!
I have been thinking of everyone -suffering in this cold this week. In Tampa it was 33* when I woke up. My discomforts are minor compared to the treacherous conditions you’re experiencing. Hopefully ALL the ice will be gone soon and clean up is cathartic. Stay safe my friends and please check in on your neighbors.
Woah that quilt Ann, made me catch my breath too at the meaning of it. I regret not doing something like that with my dad’s shirts.
Hope you stay cozy and get power back soon. I’ll look for you and Kay at VKL, on my way there now.
My brother and his wife are still trapped by ice in Memphis and my husband’s beloved Aunt is in Nashville. She was lucky to keep power. We are now living in central Illinois and the severity of a major ice storm is hard to explain to people here.
We always keep our house quite cool in winter. I recommend several layers. In the house when knitting I often wear an undershirt, long sleeve tee, (bonus if it’s a merino one) sweater, and sweatshirt. My favorite sweatshirt had worn cuffs and I knit it new wool cuffs about five years ago. It adds so much warmth. Add a cowl and hat if necessary. Extra special bonus if you can find a non-yarn eating cat to join you.
Stay safe, take care of each other. It’s what Nashville does best.
I remember riding in the car the morning after an ice storm like that in Highland Park, IL, when I was six. My dad was driving, my twin sisters & little brother were along for the ride, and we were taking Mom to the hospital — she was in labor with my little sister! It was nerve-wracking & gorgeous. And treacherous. I worried about Mom slipping & falling on the sidewalk. I never hear “ice storm” without thinking of that day!
What an indelible memory Vicki. When you started with “riding in the car the morning after an ice storm,” my first thought was WHY!—but you had a good reason!
Also it was a simpler time when dads just drove all over the place in all weather with chains on their tires and unbelted kids in the back seat!
Ann….so glad you found someplace with electricity. NYC isn’t much warmer but at least there aren’t trees falling everywhere. Praying for all those affected.
As for the crazy events in Minnesota, I learned about this pattern and story from Steing Theory Yarns in Chicago. I thought I would share it for those who want to add a red hat to their collection….would be quite the unifying accessory.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/melt-the-ice-hat?utm_campaign=Melt%20the%20ICE%20Stitch-In%20%2801KG08NJ1ESTG63KBJFDHGP23C%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Subscribers&_kx=Y9ptbN4a1CBfUVLDJm3m6hx1ssdTN1VWNRq8p7p1CHc.TbSZYM
Thanks so much for this link. I bought the pattern and am heading to Michael’s for red yarn. Don’t care what weight, I just want to knit this and wear it! I live in MA where we just got 18″ of snow and bitter cold weather. Perfect timing for a new and purposeful hat.
Thank you, Vonda! Six years ago we bought pink wool, now we will knit with red. Just bought the pattern.
That little pattern has raised a truly impressive amount of money to aid Minneapolitans!
I’ve been thinking of you folks….have seen the pictures on the news.Unfortunately we see this kind of weather more now with climate change. We’re one of those families that bought a generator back in 2000….but man! It has come in handy. Stay safe and as warm as you can. To the people in Minnesota, keep pushing back…..our hearts are with you.
Hey Ann – we also left for the warmth of a hotel on Sunday here in Nashville. Such beauty in the ice, but so much devastation. Our latest news is that we won’t have power for a good long time. There will be a lot of knitting.
I laughed out loud at your 19 century comment. I said the exact same thing myself. They were heartier folk then I suppose.
If you haven’t followed dustinmhensley on instagram, you are in for a few laughs. He’s here in Nashville writing about the storm and aftermath. So very funny.
Stay warm and safe.
Wendy
The quilt is beautiful. I love when items can be multi-purposed!
I also have pictures of ice-enclosed tree branches, looks so sparkly with the sun shining through the ice. Luckily I have not lost power, and had made a couple pots of soup before the storm hit. Had my grill ready for cooking (or re-heating food) just in case!
In coastal South Carolina, we are awaiting the next round of snow. It can be decades between snows here. I just built a framework to protect my edgeworthia. My bush is about ready to bloom also. The flowers are beautiful and smell so sweet, an incongruity on the grayest of winter days. Hope yours (and the rest of the Nashville) melts safely and soon.
We had a week-long ice storm without power in NC in 2002, so I feel your pain! We had a gas hot water heater so filling the bathtub added a small amount of humidity and heat. Leaving was the best idea.
I grew up in Nashville so I know how the city comes to a standstill due to snow and ice – and a lot of people aren’t skilled in driving in it – so be careful out there!
I’m looking forward to the 2026 Bang Out tomorrow! It’s Celeste and Cameo colorways for me! Jane is a lovely yarn!
Minneapolis is doing lots of heavy lifting and a model for us all. Tears of pride and sadness every day for my hometown.
Beautiful quilt and such a warming memory. Yarn, coffee and hot toddies for warmth!
Sending warmth and hoping the power and heat are back soon. And thank you for the peek of the practical quilt of your father-in-law’s shirts. I remember the letters about the process of its making, one of the many projects that inspired me so much about MDK.
Same, Kelly! Remember how excited Ann was to meet Elmira? Those were great days. I’ve still got all of Peter’s shirts rolled up waiting for the right moment to make a Herb & Elmira quilt.
Sending warmth to all of you suffering from the cold. I, too am amazed at the kindness the people of Minneapolis have shown to each other. Very inspiring. We will overcome!!
Thank you so much for all the mentions of the “Melt the Ice Hat”. I haven’t been living under a rock, but I had never heard of it. Just bought the pattern and will be ordering yarn next. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I join the people in Australia with the wish that we could “share” some of the weather. We had our first “snowstorm” yesterday which amounted to a bit over a half inch of snow. The mountains did better, but we are in a drought. I did have the experience once of an ice storm while working in Atlanta. It is something we haven’t seen here (but never say never!) and, when I went to my rental car that morning from the hotel, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My heart goes out to all who are experiencing ICE in one form or another. If you are affected, please know that many thoughts and prayers are coming your way to melt the ice.
The ice storms of Tennessee are notorious! My sister lives in Chattanooga, my brother was stationed for 15 years in Clarksville, so I hear a lot about the ice!
My mother used to have three big pillar candles that were special — when the power went out on the prairies of Colorado, those were her craft candles! Knitting, hand sewing, darning, crocheting…Mom did it all by the light of those candles, and we all knew to NEVER use them for anything else.
May your power be restored soon, and may your quilt keep your home warm for many years to come!
Minneapolis/Saint Paul — and all the communities fighting ICE in Minnesota thank you for the shout out and support, Ann. We will continue to protect our neighbors and one another from the ICE incursion here, while at the same time send you wishes for warmth, safety and knitting time in Nashville. Weather Ice Storms are wickedly dangerous so please be careful wherever you venture outside.
Your swatches are firing me up for the BANG OUT A SWEATER class. Can’t wait to start.
As always thank you for the work your do to make MDK a vibrant, creative, welcoming and supportive community.
Stay safe and warm. Thank you for mentioning Minnesota and the crisis our country is in. Stay Strong and Carry on! Diane
Thank you for your heart warming message & as always written so beautifully.
Ice storms are the worst! I’d rather have snow, but climate change isn’t giving us much choice. Here in Minnesota we are working to get rid of the ICE. I have had a number of requests from non-knitting friends for red hats in exchange for donations. I may never get to my Waffle sweater! Beautiful post, Ann.
So beautiful, but so treacherous! Appalachians call those tumbling branches & trees “widow makers” because of their danger. Danger from ground level & above! So sorry that Nashville is still suffering from the effects of that storm. May moderate temperatures soon return.
Here’s another way to knit for resistance and warmth and sharing some love. Shannon Downey, aka Badass Cross Stitch, who is a VERY active activist for peace, love and justice for all (and author of “Let’s Move the Needle – an Activism Handbook”) has posted a request for balaclavas for the protesters in Minneapolis:
Folks on the ground need balaclavas both for protection from the elements and to cover their faces. Feel free to knit, crochet or sew balaclavas from one of the suggested patterns or a similar pattern of your choosing.
Yarn – make sure the yarn type is warm and stretchy. Wool is preferred for winter accessories. I’m sure they’d accept any color, but I’d aim for solid colors, neutral, black if possible. No fancy or personalized designs that make someone stand out too much.
Donations can be sent to:
Minneapolis Central Library
Whittier Alliance
300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401
The Ronja balaclava pattern by Arne & Carlos on Ravelry is free. You can read her full article with other suggested patterns on Badass Cross Stitch Musings, even the free version.
I always feel less distraught after reading her posts and my morning MDK. Keep on perstitching for peace, love and justice for all ♥️
ICE really having a time right now. I challenged a small patch, stepping off a curb 23 years ago. Long since, fully repaired, I am bionic! Multiple Bionic! 6 weeks from now, if you drive by an ortho’s clinic, you’ll slow down to watch the efforts of all the folks perambulating to the MASH clinic. The storm, weeks passed, still leaving its mark. It was kindness of strangers that got us through our troubles. Kind strangers. Helpful neighbors. No act too small. They add up. Not that I’m telling you what to do…
Cast on…cast off…more than one meaning.
This has been a bad storm. My heart goes out to people still without power.
I want to sincerely thank you for making a statement about Minneapolis. I would find it hard to believe that anyone, regardless of their political leanings, would find the murders acceptable. I am grieving for our country. Minnesota, my heart is with you.
We live about 2 hours south of you. We’ve been without power, heat, water, etc since Sunday morning. There’s a load of my laundry frozen in the dryer. I stood it for a few days, but when the house got down to 20, I threw in the towel, and am holed up in a hotel in Florence, AL. Or should it be an hotel? I knit constantly, but this all has been so hard, and dark, that the only thing I’ve been able to pick up with frozen fingers and see, was a sock. My husband has been holding down the fort in a snowmobile suit, and he says the power is finally back on. Now we’re hoping there isn’t much damage to the house, such as burst pipes, etc. I’m staying put until tomorrow, since the room is paid for and warm, and there’s a bathroom that works. Hoping you are warm, and have all of the amenities, Ann. Be safe.
I’m sorry you are still iced in in Nashville. After five days home alone with just my dog waiting for the snow to melt and knitting every spare minute l now have a repetitive use injury of my right wrist. As a result I won’t be Banging Out A Sweater of any sort in February. By taking it slow I may finish my current project by the end of February and be able to knit some Melt the ICE hats for my grands and greats in Minnesota.
Thank you for your support for Minneapolis. The heartbreak of so many there is shared around the country (I live in Colorado, where cold is more normal). Knitting and fiber work (I’m a handspinner as well as knitter) are huge solace.
Ann & Kay, do you also remember when knitters were circulating a DVD of The Singing Revolution? Therse red threads to counter the impact of the red trucker hat !