A week of yarn

What began as a way to pass the time on a recent train ride to Boston has evolved into an obsession this week. Having just finished reading Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants, I was still relishing my time with Jacob and Marlena, unwilling to meet any new characters, but wanting to be productive on the train. Feeling guilty that I still did not know how to knit, even though my sister had taught Six weeks earlier, I stopped into a local knitting shop, bought a skane of yarn and circular needles, and asked for a quick lesson. After relaxing in their comfy chairs and practicing the standard knitting stitch for about twenty minutes, I left with a new skill.

On the train ride to and from my yoga weekend I enjoyed making slow progress on my first scarf. I began to appreciate the methodical rhythm of my hands and the feel of the yarn gliding across my fingers. And while I found my first experience with knitting satisfying, the weekend ended abruptly, to the tune of the unforgiving alarm clock, and with it my knitting project was left behind.

But as the boys and I settled into our vacation routine, I found myself being drawn to my little scarf, and quickly finished it. Since Six continues to work on his own scarf, my first project went to Four. He loved it. He put it on in the house and announced he was going outside to try it out. Much like seeing my children consume a nutritious meal I have prepared, seeing Four in the scarf I knit for him has been incredibly rewarding. Knowing that I have created something that will bring him warmth and comfort in the cold has provided me with the passion I needed to fully embrace knitting. This vacation has seen the creation of two scarfs and three sleeping bags for the boys' special stuffies. Up next: another scarf and then leg-warmers and mittens. And this time my knitting won't be set aside as vacation ends.