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January 27, 2005

What in the????

First of all, if I haven't wrote you an email or posted on your blog recently, I apologize...I wish you all a very late and wonderful new year!

Well, I know I have had quite a year! I started a knitting blog, got my first gig, then got my first gig with benefits, moved twice, got married and we’re going to have a baby…yeah, I know, what else will I surprise you with next time right?  I’ll tell you this, I’m having a hard time catching my breath in more ways than one these days!!

The wedding was small, intimate and beautiful at my folks' house...and I felt beautiful...well, maybe with the exception of some nasty looks I kept getting from a new in-law.  But I still had a great time that day!

We’re just getting started together and still don’t have a computer yet so whenever I get back to posting my pics, I’ll have to do it at my folks’ house I suppose.  Bummer. It’s just more fun with pics!! J

Knitting News Anyone?

Well, I finally sent off my knitted items to the charity I was telling you about.  I got a really sweet letter back too! I think I will try to knit some item for them at least once a month so that I’ll have more to send next time.  This time I got to send some a couple pairs of mitts, about three hats, about four scarves, a felted baggie for a diaper bag and I can’t remember what else.  Next year, I’d like to have a few baby blankets done to send.   But first I’ve got to knit one for the one on the way!! J

Watch out for the angry, pregnant lady…

Oh yeah! Didn’t I promise to tell you all about the scarf incident?  That was my one knitting upset.  It’s a tragic story, really.  It’s a tale of a little boy, his first knitted gift from his mommy, and a washing machine.   He had the scarf for about a year.  And I’ve washed it about twice since he has had it. Once when he had so sullied it, I couldn’t stand not to do it.  And once before this winter began so that he could wear it immediately once it started getting cold.  I loved that scarf.  It draped well and it was a joy to knit.  Both balls cost about $28 so it had better been! I spent at least two weeks just wondering what all I would knit for him with just two little balls of the stuff.  Hoping I wouldn’t do something that would be disastrous.  When I finally decided to keep it simple and make him a scarf, what came of it was just lovely.  It was the perfect color, the perfect texture and just all around perfect! My son loved it too because it was a gift “from his mom” as he always said.  Well, that fateful day occurred as he was playing over his grandparent’s house.  And though I wasn’t there, I imagine that he played, of course, as all little boys do-hard and rough!!  Usually when he’d come home from school, his scarf would need to be picked out for all the little leaves and what-nots that would get stuck in there.  I’m sure it would be no different at his grands.  Well, off the ribbed alpaca scarf came at grandma’s and into the washer it went.  When it came out, it was shrunk lengthways and stretched widthways and it was horribly mishapen along the edges of the length. It was just horrible all the way around.  It didn’t even felt beautifully because it was ribbed so it had a funky texture that was just too much! I’ll have to admit, angry was I…especially since when I was first told of the incident, grandma made it seem like it was nothing at all!  “Well, you can make another,” was the reply I got.  No, when I learned to knit, I made him this one.  Besides, doesn’t nearly everyone know you can’t throw a wool sweater in the washing machine?  Would a wool scarf be any different?  And who better to know that than the generations before me? I suppose what really stung was that it was something special between me and my son and it was taken so lightly when it was ruined.  “Ah, it’s nothing…” was the impression I got. It may be a material item.  But, no, it wasn’t nothing.  Not to me and not to him either.  He talked about it a lot when we got home.

Now, I have to keep in mind that she is my new in-law and that these things have to be squashed.  But dang! There was no apology or anything.  I could be over-reacting…But then, maybe only other knitters would be able to understand why I’m still pissed about it.  Or maybe I’m just pregnant. 

In the end I had to suck it up and just make him a new one.  This one of course wasn't out of alpaca because I can't afford it right now.  It did take about as many days to complete.  This one is two-toned (striped widthway) and has a raised purl section on one side of it between the colors.  The day I gave it to him was even sadder.  My son looks up at me as I asked him for the old one in exchange for the new one and he says, “But it was a gift.”  And I say, “Yes, but it’s ruined now.”  He's keeping it and he’ll probably wear it from time to time still.  But I just hate that something once so beautiful looks so grotesque now!  I guess I can always cherish the fact that he loves it no matter what because it came from his mommy  (awwwww!)...and learn a very valuable lesson:  never send a child dressed in non-machinewashable woollens to an upset in-law again!  

Posted by stacey at 10:59 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 03, 2005

Cuttin' to the Chase

If you're wondering where I've been...I got married. Surprised? So here's the low down:  Been planning it for a year.  Had a hiccup.  Then back tracked and did the darn thing! It was beautiful!  I'm very happy!  Forgive the shortness, but I tend to downplay things like this for some reason.  Old habits die hard. :)

Happy Holidays!!

Well, I hope all of your holidays were joyfully happy! Mine was very nice!! First Christmas and New Year with my new hubby and our son.  Watched lots of couch potato movies on my week long vacation from work!! Yay me!!!! And because I work in a college, I didn't have to take my own vacation days!! Talk about being blessed!

In Knitting

Actually not a lot.  The wedding took a lot of steam out of doing personal things for about a month or so.  I do have one tragic story of a once very beautiful scarf though... :(  I'll share it the next time I'm not using the computer at work.  Still, may we please have a moment of silence for the blue ribbed scarf.

Well, I'm at work and I must get back to the crunch.  And I feel like I'm stealing by posting while at work???  At least I can say, it is my lunch break though.

Till next time! Happy Knitting!      

Posted by stacey at 02:37 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack