Life, Knitting and the Pursuit of Roller Coasters

It just required a bus ride and a four hour flight, but the letter worked and my knitting mojo showed back up with it’s deadline.

I’m currently in California, we’re packing today and the movers come to collect Mike’s belongings tomorrow before we hit the road for two weeks. Because if you’re going to drive from California to Michigan, you may as well go slow and actually see the parts of the country you are driving through. We are staying south for most of the trip and hitting Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas before venturing up through Arkansas to Tennessee then north from there.

 We’ve spent the last three days on our feet at amusement parks here in Cali with some friends. Thursday and Friday we were at Disney, and Saturday was spent at Winter Coaster Solace at Knotts Berry Farm.

 But, back to the knitting mojo’s safe return. I brought along 4 unfinished socks and yarn for 2 more pairs, along with the started baby projects for the twins (who were born on Thursday). Three of the pairs were at a point where they really just needed a foot and toe before they were finished. Two of those pairs were finished with the flight.

 This pair will be going in the mail tomorrow to my grandma. They were started back in January and even though I haven’t really knit much since then, I still managed to knit most of the pair of these socks. The foot and toe finished up quite quickly on the bus and flight Wednesday night.  Just plain stockinette out of some Patons yarn.

 This other pair has been lingering in my UFO pile for a long long time. I started these Pomotomous socks over 2 years ago. They were less than 30 rounds from being finished when I last set them aside. So, they got pulled out on the plane once grandma’s socks were done, and I finished them up at the end of the flight. I’m pretty sure they were my longest standing project to date. It’s nice to have them finished.

I also started and knit about half a socks over the 3 days of park walking since I’ve been here. It’s another stockinette sock out of some self striping knit picks yarn and wil either be heading to grandma as a third pair for her or I’ll hang onto them for myself. I’m starting to put holes in some of my more warn handknit socks, so I’m due to make myself some new ones soon.

One final really big thing that has happened this trip, Mike proposed yesterday.

I’ve known it was on the horizon for months now since we were shopping rings together online in December. My ring doesn’t quite fit (I misjudged my size when I gave him the info, so we will have to send the ring back for resizing once we get back to Michigan) but I absolutely adore the one we chose together.

Spammy approves of it too.

You have served me faithfully and unfailingly for nearly 3 years now, and for all of that time I have valued your enthusiasm and willingness. I apologize for taking you for granted and for testing your limits. I know that I burned you out at Christmas time with all the gift projects and I respect your need to take a break.

However, we are coming up on nearly three months of your break. I would appreciate you coming back soon. I miss you. I miss all the fun times we had and all the fun projects we worked on together. I would love the unfinished projects we have left languishing to peak your interest again, but if we need to find something new to get you rejuvenated, I’m willing to try that as well.

I can’t promise that I won’t abuse you again, I would love to only knit what you want and when you are willing to participate, but Grandma has been asking for a new pair of socks since Christmas. She even tested her karma by making a big stink about how long we were taking to my mom and subsequently broke her ankle and knee.  It’s not nice of us to test her temper further when she was so gushingly thrilled with the last pair of socks she received. Also, all those babies are still coming whether you want to knit for them or not.

I have a busy week ahead. I’ve got plans with a friend this weekend, my flight to California is next Wednesday and my apartment is still a royal mess. What I’m saying is, I can find other ways to occupy my time this week. However, I would like to utilize you on my flight and I have plans for you on the 2-week road trip back from California.

So there’s your deadline, please take your time this week wrap up any projects you’ve been working on in the meantime and I would like you to report back on duty fit and ready to work when we get on the bus to the airport on Wednesday.

Yours,

Beth