What Are Friends For?

For a few days I kinda hit a snag in the area of knitting interest. I was really getting quite concerned about myself. Everything I picked up to knit got on my nerves, I just wasn't a happy knitter. I thought that maybe I had KAL'd myself to an early knitting death. And, for real, who do you call? Where do you go for help? I've yet to see a shrink or counselor advertise services geared toward the depressed knitter. Depression yes, but not specializing in knitting depression. You know, you can purchase various drugs that increase the serotonin in your brain, creating a happier feeling. Or you can get help in the area of sexual energy. But, what do you take to increase your knitting enjoyment if or when it becomes lack luster? I even went to my LYS with my daughter, Sara, to help her pick out some scarf yarn. I walked out with nothing!!!!! The owner asked if I was still into the lace KALs. When I told her I thought maybe I was KAL'd out, she just tssked and shook her head. If ANYONE could offer help you would think it would be her.

Thursday I headed up home to take my sister to the grocery. The 2 hour trip up there and back was spent screaming at the top of my lungs. Well, I call it singing. I tried to escape my knitting frustration by throwing myself into the songs of Wicked. But, there is no escape. As soon as I got back home and walked in the door I felt the same dark blanket of fiber disillusion fall upon me. I got to thinking, "Is this how non-knitters feel all the time?" "How do they stand it?" "What is to become of me? I have my own wool room, what is wrong with me???????"

I got me a cup of coffee and trudged up the stairs to "the room." There lay that stupid tomten, the beginnings of the Spring Shawl Surprice KAL, along with various other UFOs. I sat down in my little chair and punched the button to check my Ravelry messages. Low a behold, an angel appeared right there in the inbox. This angel's name is Arlene in Northern NJ. I read her message and thought about how sweet it was for her to say such nice things and to take the time to encourage me. As the evening progressed her message continued to ring in my ears and before long I found myself picking the SSS KAL up and I was knitting away. Some times we just need a little angel shove to get us up and running. Arlene's message was that little shove I needed. Here is her message:

"Peggy, I see your shawl has become an UGH. Is it just your yarn or something else? I know you are in a bunch of other KALs and were becoming overwhelmed, but I wanted to give you some encouragement with this shawl. So far, its actually not hard at all, and the reverse row work is all purls except for the faggoting in the 6 end sts at either side. You are always on the group giving everyone else a positive word, so I thought you might need the same! I know you have the skills to do this shawl!"

Here is the picture of one half of the first clue finished. Personally I think you can see the various moon stages along the border. It looks to become a very beautiful stole.

We have some good friends that are missionaries to Ecuador. They know of my love of yarn/fiber. This week they sent me four skeins of yarn made there. This was an great encouragement as well. With the cold snap we had this past week my baby, Jordan-23, said he didn't have any gloves. I said, "Well, if I was any kind of knitting mom I would take care of that." I mean, it isn't like I don't have enough yarn, but all the worsted I have is already spoken for by various patterns. And I am really going to try not to purchase anymore yarn for a long time. I had thought about spinning the yarn myself, however, I am wanting to get them done this month, not next year. :) After all, January is glove/mitten month for A Loose Knit Group.

So, thanks to Arlene and the McDonald's I am back on my game. What friends are for!!!!