Mr. MacRobie

I got the pattern for this tea cozy at The Attic, a fabric shop in Gualala. I knitted it up for Stephanie (in a variation of her favorite color) and added the ladybug decoration by sewing a snap closure to it. By the way, I got the yarn at a shop in Lake Oswego where Kristin buys her knitting and crocheting supplies.

I made it to fit a teapot that Stephanie and I each bought in New Zealand in 1998. We got the teapots at Mr. MacRobie's shop in Blenheim. It was a wonderful little shop with bits of everything from small appliances to buttons. Once I wandered around in it behind a lady who kept talking to her husband, saying things like:

"Morris, what do you think of this? Do we need this, Morris?

Oh, Morris, look here. Morris, should we get one of these, Morris?"

It occurred to me that Morris might be wishing he could change his name.

When Bern and I were in New Zealand in 2001, we went looking for MacRobie's shop, but couldn't find it. We stopped for a cup of tea at a place nearby and asked the server what had become of it. She said very kindly, "Oh, yes, dear, old Mr. MacRobie. He died this past year and his shop is shut now. We miss him very much. Such a shame."

I am very pleased to say that I never failed to buy something from dear, old Mr. MacRobie whenever I was in Blenheim. His inventory was fascinating, high-quality and useful. I wish there were more places like his around these days.