Two years ago, Nolemana and I spent a weekend on Fox Island up in the Puget Sound, Washington, area.  While there, of course I had to check out at least one yarn shop, so we took the cute ferry over to Tacoma and then drove out to Lamb’s Ear Farm, where I had a wonderful time checking out all the great stuff.  Nolemana is wonderful about letting me browse, and patiently follows me around and sometimes even checks things out on his own. In a moment of guilt madness because we were in a yarn store, I blithely suggested to him that I could make him a sweater, and told him he could even choose his own yarn.  Off he went.  I didn’t really think he’d do it.  I continued on my fiber quest, but not 15 minutes later, Nolemana came up to me, arms full of yarn, and said, “Look what Roxie helped me find!”

He had a number of skeins of a multi-colored yarn that he just loved, with shades of blues, greens and tans that would match the slacks and shirts that he wears.  He also had a pattern that Roxie assured him was good for a sweater newbie like me.“Well, okay”, I thought, “I did offer, after all”.  I thought I might actually be able to do it, even though I’d never knit a sweater before (or even socks at that point).  We took the purchases back to our B and B, and I looked over the pattern.  Sure enough, it looked do-able. I started it, not even fearing the famous curse of the love sweater, because, after all, we’re already married.  Then things happened, and I laid it down as my ever-fickle fingers decided they wanted to knit something else for awhile.

The two rows of sweater looked beseechingly at me from their Lantern Moon knitting bag every time I passed by.  I didn’t feel like knitting a sweater. It was summer.  Too hot.  I knit mostly in public, and the pattern needed concentration.  “Later!”, I told them, and went on knitting socks, blankets and scarves.

I began to feel guilty about not doing any more work on the sweater.  So I picked it up once again and began knitting.  And then I found an unfixable mistake and had to frog the whole thing.  I was not happy.  But I started yet again.Then I had to knit the baby blankets for three new babies.  That wouldn’t wait.  The sweater wept in its knit bag.  It pleaded with me to please pick it up again.  I began to wonder if it needed an anti-depressant.  Nolemana began to wonder if I was ever going to get his sweater finished.  I began to feel very, very guilty.

Then came the New Year, and the once-a-month “preparing for Christmas” gatherings with my friends.  I decided to make a list of all my UFO’s (Unfinished Objects)”, and the sweater was at the top of my list.  I would finish it for Nolemana for Christmas 2007!

I picked up the pathetic two rows today and took a look.  I hadn’t marked my pattern.  I wasn’t sure where I’d left off.  The stitch count had to be perfect.  So the sound of “rippitt, rippitt” once again filled the air. I cast on again, and now have 4 rows done.  Not a lot.  But the yarn isn’t crying anymore and Nolemana is pleased that I’m really working on his sweater.  I figure if I write about it on the blog, it’ll help me keep going. Part One. Two frogs.  Four rows.  But it’s a start!