Why I Knit.

This is a picture of me with my grandparents when I was four years old. My Mommaw Gross, on the right, taught me how to crochet when I was a pre-teen. Well, actually, she taught me how to make links, but when it came to turning it around and actually making something... it made no sense. Little did I know it was because of that stupid hook. Two needles make a lot more sense. She would spend hours upon hours watching TV and crocheting afghans with (God love her frugal, lived through the depression heart) Red Heart. Her cream and purple striped afghan I love dearly, and not just because she took the trouble to somewhat match the colors. (Matching was in fact optional with Mommaw). I curl under that afghan to watch tv and knit. My cat sleeps on it cause she likes the feel. I've buried my face and cried into that afghan. Because she loved me far more than any afghan is worth, but I still have it with me, even though she passed on in December of 2005.

After making blankets for Hokie Healing, I got an itch. I wanted to make one for myself. I sat on it for a few months. Figured I would get around to it eventually.

I took an unexpected detour to the yarn store today. I was looking for more gun metal grey King Tut to make a matching hat and gloves to go with my Irish Hiking Scarf of Dooooom. While I couldn't find the color I needed, I started thinking about my afghan. I picked up a few skeins of Rowan's Comfort and looked at the palette. Actually, I stared at it for heaven knows how long until Sandy and another lady in the store took it away from me and started finding stuff that actually looked good together. We looked at the Comfort, but it just wasn't the color scheme I was going for. I wanted something bright and cheerful. Sandy suggested Cascade 220. So we went to look at the colors, and we both zeroed in on the heathered skeins. So we picked out a red, an orange, a purple, a green, a gray, and a beige. While trying not to freak out about the convention I'm speaking at tomorrow (and finishing a Power Point for it tonight, yikes) I cast on, in the Log Cabin pattern. Voila. All is right with the world. It's simple, it's easy, and I'm going to adore it.

My knitting inspiration has returned.
Pictures to follow.