Car Knitting

The flu knocked the needles out of my hands for most of holiday. But before it attacked, I did manage to start a pair of mittens.

Somewhere along the line, most likely the Internet, I had picked up a pattern for 'Spiral Rib Mittens'

that I've been longing to knit. When packing for the trip to 'Lobster Fest' I grabbed the pattern and this lovely yarn.

Three balls of this yarn were sitting on the table one Thursday, when I arrived at knit group. Sandy B's sister, Sue, - the bag lady -

had given Sandy some yarn she no longer wanted and said to give it to knit group. I arrived a bit late that day and all but this green yarn had been snapped up.

The knitters, knowing my love of green, had very thoughtfully saved this for me. I asked "What's this?" When I heard it was for me, they laughed at the speed with which I wrapped my arms around the yarn and brushed it off the table and into my knitting bag.

The yarn, with multiple shades of two colours and its thick and thin spinning is probably not the best choice for this pattern. With both a rib and a spiral going on, plain yarn would have sufficed. In fact been better. But with my double goal of trying the pattern and knitting with this yarn, I thought 'what the heck?'

One was done pre-flu and the second completed in the recuperation phase. There is no thumb gusset in these mittens and I have to say, mittens with no gusset seem to fit me better. Not to mention how easy it is to dress for the outdoors when there is no left or right. The perfect mindlessness required for flu season.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone. New Year's Day and I opened the computer to read some blogs. Something I commonly do for relaxation and inspiration. Today didn't disappoint.

Sel&Poivre had a wonderful, in-depth post about knitting goals achieved in 2009. You will want to applaud her when you read her post.

Fibre, Flora & Fauna had a touching post about family, friends and their role in helping him through his dark days of cancer treatment in 2009. You will cry and want to call your family when you read his post.

Issues With Knitting showed a lovely sweater she started over the holidays. You will want to grab your needles and book off work for extra knitting time when you read her post.

Here at the Harris house, there is no in-depth thinking, no warm and fuzzy reflection, and no knitting, much. Fred and I came down with the stomach flu right after Christmas. Family get-togethers are bad for your health it seems.

On the 27th, we travelled to my Dad's house for the family Christmas get-together. Dad, for the last several years, has prided himself on buying, cooking and serving lobster for this meal. He does it all! We watch and because he is 89 caution him not to burn himself.

This year, the clerk at the grocery/lobster store misinterpreted the order (hard to do since Dad had given it to her in writing) and cooked the lobster. All Dad had to do was re-heat them for the meal. Not nearly as dramatic a presentation as he likes. He apparently used some harsh (some might say, verbally abusive) words on the poor clerk.

When three of us came down with the flu within 48 hours, followed by Fred another 48 hours later, Dad's comment about the pre-cooked lobster isn't fit to print. It's amazing how many swear words an 89 year old man still knows. Probably, Dad was Knowing Dad, he was, most likely, overly harsh with the clerk. But who else can say they have an 89 year old Dad who can still kick - - - ?

The flu meant I missed the Olympic Torch that passed three blocks from my house. It meant I missed a visit with the Hearsters - grand kids and all - when they travelled south to stay with another branch of the family. And today it means that rather than add up my 2009 knitting accomplishments, send emails of love to family and friends, or start a new knitting project, I am off to disinfect the bathrooms. Stay healthy.

Merry Christmas

To all my readers

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I'll be back in 2010.