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Knitting and Alzheimers/Dementia

While I was blow-drying my hair this morning, a thought came to me. I realize that many of you may consider this thought strange. Okay, with all honesty out on the table, much of what I consider on a daily basis, most individuals would consider strange. However, that is another matter entirely. As I have been knitting, I frequently refer to either the instructions or the chart for the pattern, whatever the case may be. Knitting instructions, in an of themselves are sometimes harder to interpret than Egyptian hieroglyphics. I can assure you, that I am not the only one who holds these truths to be self-evident. Every knitter I converse with says the same thing. Not all instructions are worded in a way that is easily decipherable. In the process of figuring out what majestic work of knitterly art the designer is helping me aspire to, I have a lot of thinking to do. (I am assuming said designer has, in his or her heart of hearts, good intentions for me and my project, and does not purposely mean to frustrate me and my knitting to the point of rashly and angrily deciding to flush said project down the toilet, gobble it up in a garbage disposal or stomp up and down on the darn thing like a two-year-old in a full blown tantrum.) With all of that thinking and interpreting, I am in a full-blown state of reasoning, analytical thinking and decision-making, too.

So, let's take this one step further. There are many articles and probably a plethera of studies about what we can do to keep our minds sharp as we age. Would it be too far-fetched to conclude that knitting can actually help in warding off or slowing down the process of Alzheimer's or demetia? I believe so! (All other knitters out there, please say "I concur!") I know there are other factors involved in these diseases or conditions, but I figure I can now use this one as a sword against all those who look at me while I'm knitting in public (and for those, too, who do the same while I'm knitting in private - you know who you are), and think that I am two rings shy of a three-ring circus. I mean, if the government can give grant money for a study about happiness and smiling being contagious, then why not do a study regarding knitting and Alzheimer's/Demetia? Well, I'll leave it to you to consider for a while...

Cupcakes and Knitting

I recently spent a week in Scottsdale, Arizona, over Spring Break. It was so lovely to get away from the cold here, and the warm sunshine was exactly what I needed. There is a shop there called Sprinkles, Beverly Hills. If you read any of the tabloids, apparently that's where all of the celebrities love to buy cupcakes from. I am an ardent fan of the cupcake. The only problem, is that the ratio of cupcake to frosting must be correct. It is hard to get this right. Plus, even though I love my sugar, the frosting can't be too sweet. The ones from Sprinkles were certainly delicious, very creative, and moist and not too fluffy (I hate fluffy - I want some density to my cupcake, you know, something to sink my teeth into), but the frosting was too sweet and they did put a bit much on the cupcake itself.

So this got me to remembering about a knitted cupcake I saw in a magazine. See the photo above. Darling, no? Better yet, no calories. But, alas, you can't eat it, and that is the most enjoyable part of all. So, really, which is better? I'll leave that for you to contemplate throughout the day. As for me, I'm off to sock class. I am learning to knit a sock with two circular needles, instead of the DPKs. I bought this lovely, deep read Heritage Sock Yarn from Cascade Yarns (75% merino wool and 25% nylon). This means my mom (who they are being knit for) can wash them, and they won't be too scratchy on her skin. The feel of the yarn, is quite soft, which, as you know, if of utmost importance to me. So, I will post a picture of my progress and let you know how it is going along.

Rain, Rain, Stay, Stay

Quietly I have slinked out of my warm bed this morning and silently tip-toed here to contemplate various things on my mind. The main thing on my mind this morning is the rain. I love when it rains, because you can't really do anything outside. It sort of yells, "Knit! Knit! Knit!" However, how does one do that when all the other members of the family are in the house? While I have never minded knitting while they are around, for some reason, I feel if I do so today to the degree that I wish, they will believe I am a few cards short of a full deck. And so what if I am? Well, it really doesn't matter to me what the world at large thinks about me, but those that are closest to me, well, that does matter. Although I don't rely on others for validation, it does matter to me what my FAMILY thinks. So, for now, I am quickly reaching out to you, my knitting friends, and will shortly make some pancakes for my family and then hopefully get in some much needed knit time.

P.S. Here is a picture of the organic cotton vest I made for my husband. He has worn it twice whilst we went out and seems to enjoy it very much. I love the rolled bottom and the "beachy" feel it has to it.

More Saturday Contemplations

Back from pancakes and feeling cozy in my bed. Do I work on Mr. Sock, or perhaps the lovely Rowan sweater called Lotus. I have two baby afghans also, although, if truth be told, I really only like one of them. The one called Crowns and Cables is so pretty in it's simple cream color, but the other one, I will have to change yarns. As the Yarn Harlot wrote: "When you start with crap, that's what you end up with." (That's more or less what she said, although I am paraphrasing it.) I hope that it might be better with another yarn that's not all acrylic. Please don't be offended. Am I a yarn snob? Most likely, but I once had someone tell me that she tried to learn to knit once, but the feel of the yarn in her fingers made her "skin crawl." Really? Are you serious?

that yarn must have been some really scratchy stuff. For me, there is nothing more soothing than a beautiful merino, baby alpaca or cashmere. Am I right? Yes? I though so. Well, back to the matter at hand. The Rowan sweater. That's it. Absolutely. I'll think on the ugly baby afghan so more - maybe change to another yarn...then I'll let you know.

Experiences From A Sock

Hello there! I am a basic sock. At least that's what I hope to become someday when I grow a little more. My knitter, who has promised to learn how to knit me, found my yarn under her bed (you know, that treasure trove known as her yarn stash). I am currently on a size 2 circular needle. It is a 6" bamboo circular. Who knew they made such things!?!?!?!?

Anyway, my relationship with my knitter is going quite swimmingly at the moment. She is happily knitting away, although I did hear her murmur the word "toothpicks" at one time, but I believe she has quickly gotten used to knitting with these needles and has settled down quite comfortably. Did you know she even watched how to "turn the heel" from a video on line? Boy, I hope she finished me and doesn't have to frog me too often. Do you know what the term "frog" or "frogging" means? I didn't. So, I went on line. I used each end of my circular needle to type (clever, aren't I). Each language has a word for the sound frogs make, but in English is "ribbit, ribbit", or in knitting is "rip it, rip it". So when you tear (or rip) your knitting back in frustration, it's called "frogging." I laughed so hard when I read that, I actually got a stitch in my side (pun completely intended).

Okay. Back to the matter at hand. I only have one concern with regard to my knitter. I truly hope that our relationship ends well. I am like the lone man Adam in the Garden of Eden. If this doesn't go well, I may never get my Eve.....

Knitting Socks

I will admit to being too ignorant to not know better when it came to my specific knitting abilities. I would see a pattern I liked, and always giving myself the benefit of the doubt, thought, "I can knit that." Now, nine times out of ten, I was able to accomplish the task. However, I always kept the rules - meaning I used the yarn that was suggested and I NEVER changed the pattern in any way to "suit me." However, I have been fairly successful.

But socks were an altogether different matter. I am afraid of knitting socks. They truly intimidate me. The whole short row and heel turn thing, is relatively frightening. But I realize that if I ever want to open my own yarn store (which would be the ultimate ecstasy for a yarn-a-holic like me), I need to learn to knit socks. So I have broken down. I am starting my first pair. I will update you and let you see photos. Pray for me!!!!

Confidence in Knitting

I recently picked up a copy of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's (aka Yarn Harlot) book Free-Range Knitter and have realized something about knitting that I had never considered before. Well, actually what I am about to say, I am sure many of you will read it, read it again, and think, "Well, duh..." or "Is she really that dense?" But if you will just humor me for a minute, I have been in the lone and dreary world of knitting all by myself for quite a while, and it was not until I moved to Utah that acceptance and even embracing of my passion was acquired.

As an example, my step-mother lives in Southern California and is an avid quilter. She made a trip up here this last weekend and, of course, the first thing she wanted to do was shop at every quilt store I could find to help her with her stash. When I inquired about this desire, nay, even primal drive to shop for fabric, she informed me that three quilt shops that were even remotely near her home had recently closed. Ergo, "Utah is the crafting capital of the world," she proclaimed. Really? But then I thought back to the time I had lived in Southern California too.

The first time I entered a yarn shop, as you know I was pregnant with my first child. It was in Sherman Oaks, and the shop was small, but bright and friendly. The staff was all too eager to show me the two basic stitches of knitting: knit and purl. From then on I was on my own. I developed my own style of knitting and learned from books, while only when extremely frustrated, entering a yarn store to ask a question so I may receive clarification. I became a closet knitter.

The next time I seriously picked up the needles again, I was living in the Inland Empire (hotter than Hades there, I might add). I went to the only store I could find (which was 30 minutes from my home) and inquired about some classes. Gleefully signing up and paying my money, as I exited the store I was walking on clouds and couldn't wait for the class to start. I envisioned finally rubbing elbows with other knitters and commiserating over patterns and yarn. I arrived at the designated time, opened my carry-all and sat down to knit. I noticed tiny snickers and twittering, and out of the corner of my eye saw some strange glances. One brazen women looked me in the eye and proclaimed: "You are totally knitting the wrong way." Did she help me with the "right" way? No. So, mortified, I slinked from the shop never to enter the establishment again. I sadly put away my needles and forced my burgeoning passion to the back of my mind.

Fast forward to moving to Utah. I found a store, and with not a small amount of trepidation entered the portal to the Land of Yarnia. This time the girls in the shop was friendly, kind and extremely personable. I timidly relayed my experience in California and the owner of the shop asked me to show her how I knit. She too began to laugh, but for a completely different reason. She said I knit in the Continental Style and then she said to me in the kindest voice, "Oh, honey, there is no right way to knit. If the stitches aren't twisted, then how they get there doesn't matter." Whew! Well, now I was mad. Do you know how much time I wasted without nary a knit stitch in sight? Do you know how many moments my kids would have fallen on their knees and thanked the heavens that mom didn't kill them for something they had done? Why? If I had been knitting, I would have been calm, serene, yea, even the very model of saintly patience. But did my children receive this treatment? No!!! Why? Because I believed some impudent, ignorant woman whose shop I most fervently hope has perished into the vast wasteland of the California recession.

So, here is my point. ANYONE can learn to knit. Whatever makes you feel comfortable, is the right way. As long as the stitches look right, who cares? I learned to crochet first, so holding the yarn in my right hand is uncomfortable and completely useless. I might as well try knitting with my feet to hold the yarn this way. When I purl, I still hold the yarn in my left hand, but then I kind of "throw" the yarn anyway. Why? I don't know. It's just how I do it. All knitters are each uniquely and profoundly different from each other. So, put your needles in the air and proclaim: "I can knit! I can create! I am worthy!" Ha-ha-ha-ha (evil cackle)!!!!

The Light Bulb

If you haven't read my blog from the beginning, then you don't know how I got into this obsession that now encompasses my whole world ... knitting. I picked up my first pair of knitting needles about 19 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child. Never finishing a project and sporadically knitting more off than on over the next 17 years, I let life take me along on my thoroughly busy and sometimes chaotic journey of husband, kids and other such cables and bobbles of life.

I guess I must digress at this point to let you know that although not technically diagnosed as ADD, I might be what other people would call a "flibbertygibbet", perhaps, flighty, interested in everything, unable to finish anything, you know what I'm getting at. Now as for me, I like to think that my personality stems from being born under the astrological sign of Aquarius. The main features of this sign are more along of the lines of "independent", "creative" and "free-spirited". Now, doesn't that sound better? I know it makes me feel good.

So, back to the matter at hand. As my children have grown and become somewhat more independent, I have reached out to find something that is uniquely "me". I love to read, but my husband hates it, because when I get involved in a book, everything else around me fades to black. So the word unresponsive here is more than applicable. I've tried various sports, because my husband is very athletic, but let's just say that the hand/eye coordination thing is non-functional in me. So, in order to prevent myself from stuffing my face with food when I am in bed at night, I turned to knitting, because, as you well know, it takes two hands to knit, and two busy hands knitting cannot also be putting food in your mouth. Problem solved! Well, not really. While food is no longer an obsession, yarn and knitting is.

The main issue with all of this knitting and how it has encompassed my life is my family has now confirmed to themselves that I am certifiable. My kids don't understand it, my husband doesn't understand it, but because this is the only thing I have stuck with, he supports me in this obsession. So over the last two years, can you imagine the amount of books and magazines that have made their way (very stealthily, I may add) into my home? Last week, my husband was in his (ah-hemm) "office" and picked up a copy of Vogue Knitting. Hence, the "light bulb" moment. My husband finally gets it! Not only is he excited about my yarn stash and knitting abilities, but he is encouraging me to teach others to knit, and "while you're at it, why don't you start an on-line store or sell yarn to your friends?" Could my ears be deceiving me? Did I hear him right? Oh the joys! The ecstasy! I can hear the angelic strains from on high!

I must go now. I have to start looking for new yarns............

Spring Fever

Well, my husband's vest is almost finished. I really hope he likes it. Honestly what's on my mind today is Spring Fever. It has been so beautiful and warm here the last couple of days. I am looking out of my office window and the snow on the mountains is almost melted, which from my California mind is a blessing, because last winter was soooo long and soooo snowy, that I was ready to hightail it right back to the beach! Last year, I think it was sometime after Mother's Day, thinking, "I am still so cold! Why am I still cold?" I would soak in a hot tub just to warm up my bones. This thinking process even lead my wandering mind back to a series of books I first discovered about 15 years ago by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander). The main characters were in damp, cold France I think it was, and got into these hot mineral baths so they could finally get warm. The way she described the cold right in the midst of her bones, was so compelling, and I supposed that's why it has always stuck with me, not to mention the fact that Jaime is soooo hot in my mind's eye. I know all of my girlfriends will agree with that one. If you haven't read them, they are historical fiction, but oh so addictive.

I have given up pleasure reading for the most part, because whenever I get into a book, the world fades to black and until I have finished it, I can get nothing done and no one can talk to me, because I truly transport to another world. Very unheathy I must say if you have children. Knitting is so much better because you can converse, keep food out of your mouth (mustn't muss up the yarn, you know) watch the television, put down the project, do what you need to do, and pick it right back up again!

And speaking of keeping food out of your mouth, at my Friday afternoon knitting group, someone brought .... Girl Scout Cookies!! Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad! Is anyone capable of keeping their hands off of them? And what's with the new Daisy Go Rounds? They are reduced calorie, which is supposed to make you feel better for stuffing the whole box into your mouth? Right! Well, sadly today is filled with laundry, vacuuming, ironing and running up and down the stairs, so (sigh) I won't be getting my daily yarn fix. Maybe if I work really hard and quickly, I can get to it. Let's hope for miracles, ladies.....

The New Project

I was knitting my husband a cotton vest from the "simply Sublime organic cotton book". It was getting a little tedious. Okay, if we're going to be honest here, it was BORING!!!! I mean stockinette stitch, while the basis of all knitting, can get really boring. I have to knit something like 18 inches until I get to the beginning of any interesting pattern. But because of the fact that all of my kids got something that I knitted them at Christmas, my poor husband (with a dejected pout on his face, I might add) said, "What about me? How come you haven't knitted anything for me?" So, I scoured the pattern closet and found this great beachy looking pattern for him.

While we were in California (at the beach, even) I scoped out a yarn store and ran across this new Rowan magazine no. 45. (See cover photo). Now, do you see why I attempted this? What a challenge!! Now, truth be told, I am really too stupid to realize that I'm not capable of a certain level of expertise when it comes to knitting, so I jump in with both feet (and my eyes metaphorically closed) and hope for the best. So far so good! Take a look for yourself! The best part is that even though I have crocheted, I am really NOT a crocheter. But it really wasn't that hard. Once I downloaded the difference in terms from the UK to the US, it was relatively easy. What do you think? One of the gals at my knitting group said that when I finish it, I need to wear a battery-operated neon sign stating "I MADE THIS".

So part way up the first sleeve, I started feeling guilty as the partially finished front of my husband's vest began to call out to me from deep within the recesses of the bag I had banished it to. Soon that vest began to be annoying. In fact it turned into a complete nag! Well, just to shut it up, I reached into the banishment pile and picked it up again. I am on row 85. Mindless work, but if I can at least finish it, maybe it'll finally shut up!

Knitting with Cotton

When I first started knitting, I was pregnant with my first child (19 years ago). I thought it would be nice to knit a baby blanket. I had grown up with a grandmother and a father (yes, that's right, a father) who crocheted. Since I was born in the last half of the 1960s, I was a young child in the 70s. Who remembers ponchos? Macrame? Crocheted bikinis? Daisy afghans? (Still have that one, by the way.) I had this large swing that was made out of macrame and had a homemade clown sitting on it. It hung from the ceiling in the corner of my room on my sister's side. Now, who remembers the movie Poltergeist? Are you following me here? Never in the history of the world has a clown been removed from a child's bedroom faster. I still have nightmares.

Anyhoo, where was I? Oh yes, so because I grew up around crocheting, I didn't particularly like the look of the baby blanket if it was crocheted. To me (in my ultimate 20ish wisdom) knitting looked so much more professional. We had, at that time, gotten through the craft era of the 70's, through the fashion atrocities of the 80's (enough said on that era) and were just squeeking into the 90's when this thought occurred to me. I want to KNIT! I headed off to the nearest craft store and bought a book on knitting along with some yarn. Initially I got stuck and sheepishly walked into a yarn store in Southern California. The wonderful clerks helped me and I was on my way. How was the blanket? Don't know. Never finished it. In fact, I didn't pick up needles again until about 2 years ago. This was after we moved to Utah and I was experiencing my first winter when I realized that reading books (or watching TV) whilst stuffing one's face whilst watching the snow fall outside was not terribly healthy. People don't get depressed because of the winter, they get depressed because in the spring they step on the scale and see the results of all the noshing! I never packed on the freshman 15, I packed on the Utah 20!

Needless to say, I was such a novice back then about this whole knitting thing. I was satisfied with any old yarn and if the project looked reasonably simple and elegant, I was game. It wasn't until I found this Filtura Di Crosa Baby pom pom yarn by Tahki that I started to realize that yarn really mattered when it came to one's projects. This was the crossroads of my knitting existence. And I crossed over, I mean I really crossed over. Living on the planet Yarn Obsession is fun! Stash is a blast! Have you seen the Kleenex commercial where the woman touches everything, until she gets to the tissue and suddenly .... it's FEEEEEEL. Oh yes, the feel of the yarn is essential. It makes you excited to see the final project.

However, knitting with cotton is something different. If you don't have a consistent tension, it ends up looking all wompy (or is it wonky?). I know that's not a Webster's word, but you know what I mean. Here is an example of my first attempt to knit with cotton. Truly humiliating. But, I have finally gotten the hang of it, and yesterday I finished the Gumdrop Sweater for my next door neighbor's little girl. Here it is. I will post pictures of her in it, though. I promise. So since spring and summer are just around the corner, pick up some cotton, or maybe some bamboo/cotton mix. There is so much out there, I just don't have enough time to see it all! And ladies .... use good yarn. You'll be glad you did.

Chewy The Bulldog

For Christmas my husband bought a six month old, English Bulldog. He is the cutest ugly dog you've ever seen. (See photo. Am I right?) Now, when you go to name a dog, you either go with a name that fits, or something a little ironic, right? For instance, we had a teeny, tiny little yorkie mix that we named "Duke". Whenever I hear that name, it reminds me of the cartoon "Marmaduke", you know the big huge Great Dane. Well, my husband and the kids and I debated over names for this bulldog. We all wanted one that fit. The original breeder had named him Scooterbug. What!?!?!? You have got to be kidding! I wanted Bubba or some name like that. Well, Chewy stuck. My husband says if we are Hispanic, we need a dog with a Hispanic name. But, truth be told, it really is short for Chewbacca, that "thing" from Star Wars.

Now that we've had him for a while, I have come up with a few other names, that I think might have been more appropriate. How about Stinky, or maybe Smelly, or Snort, Snore, or Fartboy! Although I have never loved a dog more, let me tell you, he can clear a room in 5 seconds or less! And, mind you, this is not an occasional problem, it is a regular and reoccurring nightmare! I believe that whoever can come up with the technology that will allow us to have "smell-o-vision" will be the wealthiest man in the world. Then, maybe, you would understand. Words cannot express the pungency of this dog's bowel odor. Let's just say that sometimes I think my hair will melt. I plug my nose, but then I'm afraid to breathe through my mouth, for fear of tasting it.

But, how does Chewy, relate to knitting? He doesn't, really, except that he spends every waking hour of his life following me around. He even sleeps (snores) at my feet while I am on the computer, or knitting in my favorite chair. Did I tell you he even has flatulence in his sleep? Oh, yes, one more thing ... he LOVES my yarn. I catch him with it in his mouth all the time. If I step away and leave my project on the chair, I will come back and he will have it in his mouth, "gumming" it to death. Do you know what it's like to knit a project with wet, and sometimes slimy, yarn? Uggggghhh!!! Well, lucky for him, he's cute. So I guess I'll keep him.

Knitting with Tom Brady

"Excuse me? Did I hear you right?" you are saying. And, my dear readers, the answer is a resounding "Yes!" I was knitting with Tom Brady - THE Tom Brady. You know, that dashingly handsome man on the football field and magazine covers. But, how is this possible? Not only did it happen, but, may I add that I was knitting, too! Do I have you salivating for the details? Well ... let me tell you ...

In October I took a trip to California with my four children. We stayed in a cute little house in Venice Beach. Tom had just had the surgery for his knee (for all you football fans, you remember he got hurt the first game of the season and the injury took him out for the rest of the season). Anyhoo, my husband is his ... umm ... well, for lack of a better word ... therapist. He was working with Tom and the surgeon on his rehab. So, I went along with my husband to the house where he was recovering, and climbed up on the bed to look at some architectural renderings on the house he's building. At the time I was knitting that sweater you see on the "Projects" post, below, and I was showing it to him. He had my husband pull a hat out of his closet, to show me his favorite one. I told him I would knit him a hat for next winter. It will be something out of cashmere & wool with a strand of mohair to go with it. SOFT!!!

So before we left, I had to help my husband position pillows, prop up Tommy's knee and tuck him in for the night. And that, my dear and faithful readers, is how I ended up knitting with Tom Brady.

I Have KITCATS

Where does the time go? There just never seems to be enough time in one day to do everything I need, and let's not forget all of the things I want to do. Being obsessive as I am, it is impossible to sit down to focus on a knitting project, when the laundry needs to be done, the dishes need cleaning, groceries need to be put away, my bed is not made, or any one of the other myriad of items on a busy mother's "to do" list.

I am convinced that I have an undiagnosed case of KITCATS (that's Knitter's Inability To Complete Any Task Syndrome). How many times have I started to make my bed, picked up a pair of shoes to put away in the closet, and -- TA DA!! -- there is the dirty clothes hamper. I pick up the laundry and start a load, only to discover that the (new) bulldog has left me a wet surprise in the laundry room. In order to fully clean this, I plug in the steam machine (which takes about 10 minutes to heat up), and head into the kitchen to throw away the paper towels used to clean up the wet stuff. The trash can in full, so I tie up the trash bag and head out to the garbage cans -- oh! there's the mailman. I trudge down the driveway to get the mail (which is about three-fourths of the way full of my 78 year-old father-in-law's offers to win an astronomical amount of money if he would only send $29.95 today to cover "handling costs"). Back inside, the steamer is ready, so I clean the laundry room floor, put a new trash bag into the kitchen trash can -- and the dishwasher needs to be unloaded and reloaded. There are crumbs on the kitchen floor (what else is new?), and the washing machine has just beeped. I unload the laundry into the dryer, and put a new (dirty) load into the washer.

Chewy, the bulldog, needs to be fed then taken outside for ... (you know). More on Chewy later. Oh! It's lunchtime. First, put something together to eat, rinse the dishes, start the dishwasher. I need a nap! Snooze for about 30 minutes, and it's time to pick the kids up at the bus stop. Snacks, referee, homework, referee, dinner, referee. Knitting? Knitting? Oh heck, I forgot the laundry in the dryer. My bed has never been made and my husband is wondering what I did all day. Yes, it's true. I have KITCATS. Sadly, there is no cure, because as I get older, the days go by faster and faster. I can only take a deep breath, and hope against all hope that I will be able to carve out some time to get to the computer to talk to the universe at large and put a couple more stitches into my latest project. Okay, truth be told, it's the latest project that has my attention, because I know that YOU all know I have a LOT of knitting projects going on at once and quite a short attention span.

How did my obsession for knitting become an obsession for keeping my house clean? Hmmmmm.......

Projects

Usually there are many projects lying around my house. Most knitters that I know are also like me. I will start something, and quickly get bored with it (especially if it's in stockinette stitch), at which time I will find something else to get my creative juices flowing. I was down to only one project shortly after Christmas!!!! Who would have guessed that any knitter could get to that point. But, as you can see from my previous post, I quickly added another one to my endlessly circling queue. I have posted pictures of the Christmas projects I completed for my children. Needless to say, as any knitter knows, I was knitting right up to Christmas Eve on this one! Enjoy.

Perplexing Question

Well, thanks to you all who gave me feedback on my first entry. I really enjoyed hearing from you. Today I have mostly been contemplating the baby sweater that I am knitting. It's a darling pattern from Debby Ware called "Gumdrop Sweater." It's probably about the cutest thing I've ever seen! I'm sure you will agree. Now, here comes the dilemma. My foster daughter (she's 27 and married) has a 2 year old who could wear this (let's call my grandbaby Lisa). We also have a next door neighbor (who we dearly love) with a darling little girl of the same age who would also fit in it.

I know the neighbor would really appreciate and understand the love and effort that goes into an item such as this and my 13 year old says our foster daughter won't appreciate it. My husband says you don't do things for other people because they will appreciate it, you do it because you love them. That I understand. But after Lisa has outgrown it, will it end up at -- heaven forbid -- Goodwill? Is it wrong of me to give the sweater with the caveat that when she's finished with it, return it to me so my other granddaughters can enjoy it? I know. I know. I'm being petty. Why, I could just solve the problem by knitting two sweaters! Allright! Allright! All you knitters out there, pick yourselves up off the floor. I know you're rolling around laughing. You, there! Wipe that grin off your face! Okay, where was I? Oh yeah. Please help me, because I'm in a serious conundrum here. This has me truly perplexed. I look forward to your comments.

Obsession

I have come to the conclusion that I am obsessed. Note to self: mother has obsessive compulsive tendencies -- can't stay away from Home Shopping Network or QVC. The UPS man knows her by name, since at least one package a day gets delivered to her home. Could those tendencies have come from her? Hmmm..... Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I was at my favorite yarn store knitting with some of the women who were making a bobble purse. We were absently talking about kids, husbands, work, you know, the usual, when I said I should find a project for all of the yarn under my bed. Slowly, all eyes were directed toward me. What? What had I said? Don't you have yarn stashed around waiting to be knit into cute little sweaters, mittens, hats or gloves? "No," one woman said. "I buy the yarn for the project I am planning, finish the project, then go on to the next one." "You only work on one project at a time?" I inquired. The answer was slow and deliberate. "Why, yes. Don't you?"

Now, I have met quite a few knitters since my reintroduction into the enticingly soft and delightful world of Yarnia. Most of them have several projects going on at the same time. Yet, I am the odd (wo)man out in this instance. I start thinking about all of my abandoned projects, my neglected yarn, so forlorn, lonely and dejected. There are two large plastic boxes filled with yarn in all varieties, textures and colors -- hidden, for my own selfish desires -- under my bed, not very unlike a pirate with his secret treasure trove carefully stowed in a trunk and hidden in some dark and mysterious cave. Whenever I encounter a store that sells yarn, I walk through the proverbial armoire into the land of Yarnia, where my hands touch, caress, even stroke each and every lovely skein. I can't help myself. I am weak. I know it. Compelled by some unforeseen force, I purchase some and greedily bring it home, opening my "booty" trunk and quickly stuff it into the box, so no one but me can enjoy the bounty of my stash.

I love color. I love texture. I am obsessed with it. I can't help myself. When I find the right project for each of my little treasures of yarn, I will knit it up. But until then, I will secretly continue to savor each moment as I open my trunks of treasure and dream of the day every one of them with have a purpose more glorious than my obsessive, greedy little self.