Portrait in Linen

Now that I’m initiated, focus is on the first serious project–a yellow blankie for Sister’s apartment-warming gift.

Poor girl has bungeed from absolute rock bottom to very-near-okay in 24 hours. Midnight emergency room visit (dragged kicking and screaming) in suicidal stupor, and a day later, a new car, new apartment, and new independence, which will hopefully be a thrust toward health. A blankie is the very least she needs right now, but it is an item of comfort, a token of love, a little keepsake to remember a fragile-but-God-wrought turning point…and in her favorite color.

• circular needles - 15
• 3 skeins Lion Homespun “Lemonade” (388)
• basic garter stitch

Certain I’ll need more yarn; the blankie is turning out to be much longer than I anticipated.  I didn’t want it to be too small, so I think I overcompensated and made it too long.  It’s okay, though.  Large is good, too.

Still don’t have any understanding of the world of yarn yet, and how that world relates to the world of needles.  But I’ll learn by doing.  Each project will introduce a new aspect I hadn’t thought of, and the guidebooks do well to tell me exactly what gauge yarn, what size needles I need to use.

Reminds me of teaching myself portraiture.  “Invented” tools to solve problems that came up along the way, then later discovered there were tools for those purposes already on the market.  For instance, I used to use twisted up pieces of tissue paper for smudging and blending, then discovered tortillions.

With knitting, I got to a stopping point and thought, “Hmm, it would be so great if I had some little ball of something to stick on the ends of the needles so my stitches won’t slip off.”  I see this problem is solved.

Have no use for “gauges” or “stitch counters” or those more “advanced” things yet.  Of course, I want to try something a little more challenging after the blankie is done, but I’m not sure what yet.

I knit with a giggle in my spirit.  Sister asked what I was making, and I said, “I don’t know.”  She commented on the color and said she’d love to have whatever it turns out to be, simply because it’s yellow.  She may in truth know what I’m doing, but she’s very gracious and feigns ignorance.

Whether or not she knows, both of us will be so tickled when it’s done and given and received.  I can’t always be there to hug her and love her and comfort her when she’s hurting, but the blankie can be.