I Was Knit Together In My Mother's Womb

Why I hate shopping.

Last month, I caved and bought a "community awareness" coupon book for $5 at our local better department store. The $5 goes to a charity, and I get potentially hundreds of dollars worth of coupon savings if I use my charge card on a certain day. Which happened to be Today.

Katie and I went to get our hair cut, then stopped at the better department store to look for hoodies (to wear when we go to Disney next month). Finding some very nice hoodies, which were marked down from the original price to $30, it was a bonus to see that an additional 30% discount also applied today. It occurred to me that I had bought the coupon book,which was home, which promised even more savings off the sale price. Which, according to my calculations, could get me the hoodies at a bargain price of -$3.95.

Went home. Searched in every purse I've used in the past month. Searched in secret hiding places. and pants pockets. No coupon book.

Went to my knitting class. Explained missing coupon book and fantastic bargain I could get on the hoodies. Two of my students gave me coupons from their books, which they had in their purses...filed neatly under " must have on hand should I ever happen to stop by the better department store." Next to the always on hand "tissues, extra car keys and Zantac" that I'm sure they had filed in their purses as well.

I drive back to better department store, grab the three hoodies with my name (Lynnda) tagged on them. I didn' t even ask for a salesperson to get them off the hold rack, since every sales person was waiting on people. On my way in, I notice a very short line in housewares. So, I head back there. Good, still only six people in line instead of the thirty that are in line in the women's department. I figure I've got this thing all going on, and I'll get out of there in no time, with my deeply discounted hoodies.

I am between two older women.

"you'd think they'd have more walking carts with all of the seniors here today. Since I had my heart attack, I can hardly breath, and I could have used a cart." (her shopping companion in front of her had apparently the only walking cart with the seat available in the store.)

"OH, I know. I can hardly stand anymore, my knees are so bad. I had two knee replacements."

"I've also got a disease in my spine that has a name so long I can't even say it. My back is killing me."

"I try not to even drive anymore. My eyes are so bad."

"I know. Whoever said these are the golden years? I told my granddaughter she better hurry up and have that baby of hers before I"m dead. I always wanted a great grandchild, and I'm 77, you know."

"I love spending time with my grandchildren. We'll be together for Christmas if I make it that long."

I actually then said, "Well ladies, at least at this age you have a lot of wisdom."

They laughed at me.

After being in line for 35 minutes, I'm called to the next register.

I forgot my charge card. She looks up my account. And scans the hoodies. I give her the coupons.

"You can't use these coupons on Columbia. Columbia's always excluded."

"Are you serious? You mean I could have done this tomorrow or the next day at my leisure and paid the same price as I'm paying today? Seriously???"

"do you still want the hoodies?'

"Just one of them."

This, my friends, is why I hate shopping.

Let's build a sweater.

Why I get the Anthropologie emails and catalogs, I don't t know.  Well,  I do know why I get them...it's because I requested them. My real "why" is why do I put that temptation and loveliness in my face each week when I know I can't afford the stuff? 

A few weeks ago, I showed you the clutch that I want to make. Earlier this week,  I fell in love with something yet again. It's The Rainier Cardigan.

I love it so much that I want to make it. But I don't know how to make it. I can guess how to make it. So, I joined the Anthropologie group on Ravelry so I could ask questions. I emailed Amanda, who is the one person I have seen do a "version" of a sweater (Bea) that she has seen... I'm asking her questions.

I have requested every knitting stitch book that I can from the library.  If we look closely at the sweater (using Anthropologie's zoom capability on their website) I think we see a feather and fan pattern. And a simple lace. And is that moss stitch?

I've made a lot of sweaters, and I feel like I should be able to knit a version Rainier.  But, I need help. And any help I get  from all of you, I will share as I work through designing and knitting this sweater. Then maybe , just maybe, we'll have a pattern we can all use. Am I getting ahead of myself?

Let's build a sweater. We can do it.

Some things just take time.

Being a work in progress can take a long time.

(Bridget, a fair isle sweater on #3 needles)

And some days, it seems like there can never be enough time in a day or in a lifetime to be a finished project. 

Sometimes you have to be in it for the long haul. Weeks and months and years of facing the same project. You have to be willing to go back and try to correct the mistakes, or at least take a look at how they happened and hopefully not do the same things again. I wonder at how much time has been wasted, or time that may have been misdirected. Correcting mistakes always takes more time than it took to make them.  

I am a work in progress. And some days I think (in fact I know) that I am one project that will take a lifetime to complete.

Make sense? 

I'm going to brag on my knitting students.  They are the most determined bunch of knitters, who have come a long way from fuzzy scarves in the past few years.

  This is Faith...

  Wearing her Sitcom Chic, and matching tank.

And Alma, who, in all of her wisdom, is still willing to learn...even though she could teach all of us a few things..

And here is Chrissy, and her mom Maria, who made gloves! Gloves!

 

I'm so proud of them. They have learned the true art of knitting....collecting stash, having several projects on the needles at the same time,  knitting dishcloths even though they know how to knit gloves and sweaters, and buying every knitting magazine that has been published.

They have learned to get the best and latest, and make us all jealous.

  ( Check your knitting bag, Denise. I may work at a church, but I sure do like those new KnitPicks needles...)

There is also Franny, and Linda, and Beth....all camera shy.

These girls are awesome, and I'm very proud of each of them.