Knitting

Last night I started knitting again. I went to a Superbowl party last Sunday, where I watched my friend Laura pull out a ball of colorful yarn that looked like is was made of confetti and with big fat needles she proceeded to knit away on one of those trendy scarves you see a lot of women wearing these days. Monday afternoon I was at the craft store buying 11 gauge needles and sorting through the wide selection of "fancy fur" and fun yarns that are now available.

After I got the kids to bed last night, I started casting on stiches. It took about twenty minutes to remember how to do it. I had learned how to knit a long time ago from my Aunt Willy, my dad's brother's wife. My Aunt Willy and Uncle Enie lived in Hanover, Indiana in a house that was set on a bluff that overlooked the Ohio river. The house had started out as a log cabin, but through the years, it had been added on to so many times that the rest of the house grew up like a giant mushroom over and around the original log room. My Aunt was an opinionated, wise-cracking, feisty lady, who chain smoked, and who had a passion for knitting and crocheting. Her creations however, were slightly off kilter. Her craftsmanship was flawless but her designs and color selection were truly awful. Every year for Christmas she would make a gift for everyone. It was with dread and amused anticipation that we unwrapped her lime green ponchos and shocking pink vests, that smelled heavily of cigarette smoke.

We visited my aunt and uncle once a year and one of the things we did when we visited, was to learn how to knit and crochet. So, before I knew it, as I sat in the middle of my bed, listening to Alias on TV last night, it all came back to me. By the time I said goodbye to Jennifer Garner, I was was knitting away, like I had never stopped. So far so good. In two hours I have accomplished a foot. I am happy with my progress and am finding that knitting is a very relaxing and satisfying way to unwind. I am making a scarf for my mom for her birthday and hope that she will enjoy my color selections almost as much as Aunt Willy's!