Sappy

I won’t spend much time describing the drama that set these events in motion – all you need to know is that my ex moved to PA to live with his dad’s family, it was a bad scene, so he left in a hurry on Wednesday night. I was very freaked out at the possibility of having him stay with me since the last time he visited I was a mess for days. I tried to get him to stay elsewhere, but in the end he came to stay with me until he leaves for TX to go live with his mom’s family.

Since he left in a hurry, he left a bunch of stuff behind in PA. He specifically mentioned “sentimental items.” I immediately thought about the socks and hat I made for him and it got me really upset, thinking of them discarded and eventually thrown out. I had knit love into those items and wishes and hopes for a better future, comfort for when he thought of me and all of the good times we had. I eventually worked up the courage to ask him if he had managed to take them with him when he left. He did! I started bawling with relief. I felt very rejected at the end of our marriage and he had said in the past that he wasn’t using the socks or hat because they reminded him too much of what happened – I guess only knitters (and probably crafty divorced folk) can understand why this makes me feel so much better and less rejected.

Mitt Pics

These are the mitts I made for Misty! I made the tops extra long so you can scrunch your fingers all inside if its really cold or cuff it back to keep it out of the way. I was headed over to Chris and Misty's to watch Carnivale and brought these along to finish ... I was sitting there working and she very shyly asked if she could "put in an order" - she was so excited when I told her there was no need, she would have a pair before her next cigarette!

Kenny and Carry were also there. Kenny is another Alabama transplant who could use some handknits, but it is harder to come up with an idea for him. I was thinking a black hat that had a Saints logo incorporated, but I am having a hard time finding a chart for a fleur de lys! Gah!

Scott was there too - I need to think of something to make him - he is awesome AND he appreciates handknits! I always have such a hard time coming up with things for guys.

Mitts for Misty

I keep postponing posting about these mitts because I keep meaning to take a picture of them to put in the post, but I somehow manage to keep forgetting to take a picture. Gah! Enough of this madness - I will post the picture when they are done!

Not one, but TWO of my friends have found significant others who come from Alabama - both of these wonderful folks packed up and moved to NJ this past fall. Right in time for one of the more consistently cold winters we have had in a while! I am not going to pretend that NJ has much in common with the Yukon Territory in terms of temps and snowfall, but its been a bit stepped up so far this winter and it is a LOT harsher than what you would expect in Alabama.

My friend Misty moved up here in the beginning of October - she is cheerful and friendly and a real sweetheart! One day we were on the porch to sneak a cigarette (don't judge! divorce stress! ack! sometimes its the only thing that quiets the voices telling me to KILLKILLKILL! :) ) and I pulled on my fingerless mitts. I asked her if she had gloves or mittens and said she did, but couldn't smoke with them on. That is when I decided to cast on some mitts for her!

At least I had the forethought not to mention it to her because I am a notorious slacker and had no idea when I would actually cast on, let alone complete, the mitts. As of now, I am nearly finished with the thumb gusset - shouldn't be too much longer and hopefully I can get them done by Saturday night when I am heading over there to visit!

Mitts are made from Lion Brand WoolEase in a green color that is flecked with a bit of gold - it wears well and I don't have to terrify anyone by telling them what I will do to them if they felt things I make for them. And I have a ton of it in left over in my stash. Works out well for everyone!

First FO of 2010!

Happy New Year! This hat is my first finished object of the new year and I really love the fact that it is for me! Perhaps this is an auspicious sign that this year I am going to be kind to myself and make sure I go after the things I want and need. The yarn is very lofty and warm and soft – though the alpaca hairs got ALL OVER my black tee shirt and the dark blue couch! LOL But I have a new hat! And its awesome! I enjoyed the cabling – it was very straightforward and came out looking great. At first I was concerned that the halo of the yarn would hide the details, but it really didn’t – I am very pleased.

Ah! One more thing – when I cast on for this I was having trouble holding tension (I knit continental and wrap the yarn around my left fingers.) This was really strange and confusing until I remembered that my left hand used to have a ring on it. Ugh – happy thoughts! Lovely. But I decided not to be a drama queen about it, wandered over to my jewelry box and popped on a big amber ring I bought for myself years ago at the German Alps Festival up at Hunter Mountain, NY. I fell in love with it when I saw it and just had to have it. I remember the day and the fun I had with my family, singing along to the Schnitzelbank and eating wurst! Upstate NY is my favorite corner of the world – you know how people say they need to go to their “happy place” when they are stressed out? Well, Hunter NY (Elka Park if you want to be technical about it) is my happy place! I have work and things are nuts so I can’t actually get there right now, but it’s like a little piece of my happy place wrapped around my finger! AND it gives me great yarn tension! LOL