Thankfully, life has been very busy; which is a great excuse not to write. We finished the cottage remodel in Walnut Creek, and have put it on the market. No more Home Depot trips for a while. Tennis resumed after "Christmas Vacation", only to come to a screeching halt with all the rain. My daughter was home for the holidays and came with me to Alameda Point Antiques Market, thanks Mary, you are great company.
As we have been transfixed to the earthquake aftermath in Haiti (and reminded that we live in earthquake country) I am so proud of the way people step up to donate to relief efforts. The Yarnharlot (Stephanie Perl Macphee) has made an amazing posting on her blog with an appeal to donate to the effort. Please look her up and read it, if you have a chance.
The Yarnharlot won my daughters heart when she called her an "over-achieving knitter" as she was learning to knit by making socks. Some 30 plus pairs later (in a year), I have to agree. I really like to knit. The whole package is appealing; browsing Ravelry or books for a pattern, picking out the yarn, maybe some new needles. Until finally, you cast on. I never cast-on once for a project, I usually don't leave myself enough yarn, so I frog the cast-on, and try again.
Once I have cast-on, it is a commitment. After all, some little animal grew the wool, someone had to get the wool off the animal. Someone took the time to spin the wool (lace, fingering, DK, sport, worsted, bulky), someone dyed the wool, and someone ordered it so it could be sold to me. Then there is the pattern; a simple scarf, cardigan, or socks, it's people who count the stitches and write it down. So behind every garment that is cast on needles, there are people, faceless, but not unknown, and not unappreciated, who are pulling for you to finish your project.
Knitters have all these terms; WIP (work in progress), FROGGED (when you rip it out) and on it goes. It binds them into a wonderful, ancient tradition. People coming together, creating something beautiful. So, when I cast-on, it is a commitment for me, I don't want to be the one to break the tradition. I am currently finishing up all the WIP's, and deciding what wonderful project to tackle next.
Next up: Spring trips to France!!!!!! It's just around the corner.
