Merry Christmas to Me

Patons SWS Blue
Originally uploaded by lothruin

It seems like ages since the last time I posted. Christmas (and Christmas crafting) has come and gone. The normal craziness surrounding Christmas was doubled this year in my household. I crafted madly for a week, having procrastinated as usual. My sister was hit by TWO semi trucks on her way home from Atlanta for Christmas. She and the dogs were fine, but her car was totaled and there was massive hassle surrounding the rental, the buying of a new car, three insurance companies, etc. My in-laws were here the weekend after Christmas so there was much visiting and attempting to stay mostly happy.

Most difficult was the lost of my Oma, my mother's mother, two days after Christmas. Like any good knitter, I'm drowning my sorrows in yarn. My coworkers and mother-in-law unwittingly helped me by showering me with gift cards to craft stores for birthday and Christmas. My Oma was in largest part the reason I decided to learn to knit, so I went out yesterday and spent a cathartic hour at Michael's spending every penny of my $45 in gift cards while the yarn was all on sale, and today I began Knitty's Danica (an entrelac scarf) in Patons SWS in Natural Blue for my Aunt Marge, my Oma's oldest daughter. Since Oma is gone, someone has to keep her childrens' necks warm.

Two years ago, on Christmas morning, we called my Oma with the news that her youngest daughter, my mother, had finally learned to knit, 40 years late as far as Oma was concerned, thanks to my help and a learn-to-knit kit for Christmas. When we visited in August of '07, we shared with her the beautiful yarns we'd just purchased at a lovely little LYS in Billings called Wild Purls, and though she couldn't do such delicate work as knit or crochet with her old hands any more, you could see her delight in the soft, beautiful fibers. Since I first taught myself to knit, it has always made me think of Oma. Doubly so now, and it's a profound comfort.

I know there is much more I should be updating on, and pictures of finished gifts, etc., but I have been so distracted by everything for 2 weeks that it may take some time to get all that straightened out. Meanwhile, drool over my new yarn and the absolute magic that is entrelac!