What I did last week:
It's a soft, squooshy scarf, knit from start to finish at various locations in and around Bethesda, Maryland. Finished on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, actually. It's the Corrugator, and it's a fun and satisfying knit. I used one 245 yard skein of Mountain Colors Merino Ribbon in Yellowstone.
I like it a lot, but it's going to the Red Scarf Project. I can't keep it, because it was Nursing Home Knitting, and it makes me sad. If I send it off to warm a young person, all the sad will float away, won't it? If it gets to have a happy life filled with laughter, that will make it okay, won't it? I think so.
My trip and my visit with my mom was good, but hard. She is doing well, getting stronger, and being pretty cheerful, considering. We spent a lot of time sitting and chatting and thinking about old times. I would come in the morning, stay till lunch, and return in the afternoon. At dinner time I went back to my little room at the strange but nice hotel, where I spent the evenings knitting and surfing the internet and watching bad TV.
I had a wonderful lunch with my dear friend V on Thursday. We sat there so long that the restaurant staff began prepping for the dinner service. If you're near Potomac, you should have a meal at Bezu. It was delicious.
On Saturday, after a short but productive visit with my sister to Knit + Stitch = Bliss in Bethesda (sock yarn, that's all), I drove off to the Eastern Shore to spend a couple of nights with my friends K and R. We laughed ourselves silly, and K and I knit and talked knitting (my heavens, his sweaters are beautiful!), and we had some interesting meals. The Japanese place was grand, but the Waffle House in Middletown? Not so much unless you're a fan of "Cops." There was a police chase/Taser incident across the road that had everyone but us out of their seats. It was surreal.
On Monday morning at the crack of dawn I loaded up and headed for home. The short visits with my dear friends, one on each end of the trip, helped make leaving my mom a little easier. Still, it was hard. Each time I see her it's harder to leave. My drive felt slow and I was so tired -- even Turnpike coffee didn't seem to help. I was almost home, and still drowsy, when I saw the signs for Sayville, and remembered the yarn/spinning shop that I'd been meaning to visit.
I've been planning and saving and researching portable wheels for months. My Reeves is too big to take anywhere, and my Sweet Ashford is getting old and doesn't enjoy the car much any more, so I have been wanting a wheel to take on the road. I even had it narrowed down to a couple of choices.
When I sat down to spin on this one it felt just right, so I debated for a minute or two, called and consulted Rho ("Am I crazy?"), and then made the decision.
A little Joy lifted my heavy heart just a bit. Enough. I feel like I got a new puppy. It's so small and silly and sweet. And it makes yarn without being trained!
"You have the nerve to be gone for six whole days, and then, what? You bring a puppy into the house? I won't be speaking to you any time soon, or at least not until I want my dinner."
I'm almost to the point of becoming wild-headed and crazed about getting everything done and packed and ready for my trip to Maryland. Almost. When I see the old pattern -- circular motion, no progress forward -- I stop, do some little pleasurable thing, and then go back to the preparations.
That's how I managed to spin and ply a skein of yarn this week. It's Crown Mountain Farms Corriedale pencil roving in Silver Fox. If you need some comfort spinning, this is the stuff for you. There's not much to do but watch the colors flow past your fingertips, because the roving is so well prepared. I love Teyani's color ideas, too. I think I'll end up with yarn that's almost worsted weight, which is something I rarely spin. It's soft and bouncy and I can't wait to see how it feels when it has dried.
In another few bits of spare time, and with a little serendipity, I happened upon String Theory Yarn's Etsy shop. The scenario: Dum-de-dum, I'll just browse around, dum-de-dum ... Hold on, what's this?
Silk and Merino in the Sprucehead colorway. I don't know if you can tell, but it actually shimmers and glows, and it's different from every angle. Want a closer look? Sure you do.
It's sort of like dragonfly wings, isn't it? I have 6 ounces and 750 yards. It's what you'd call heavy fingering weight, I suppose. I'm thinking about a modified Morning Glory Wrap. Maybe. It would be narrower and shorter, of course, but I think I have enough for a big, big scarf. I'm going to take my time deciding on this one.
Now back to the present: The emotion and anxiety that I've been feeling for the past couple of weeks has been softened by all the warmth and kindness and encouragement that I've received through the blog and from my friends and at work. I am one of those people who is self-conscious about "stuff" like this -- like needing a hug, or a word, or a smile. When these things are offered and put right in front of me (or, otherwise shoved in my path), I do accept, though it's hard to do so without question. I'll learn, eventually.
Thanks to every single one of you who has forced me to take your good wishes. I'll pass them along to my mother on Wednesday in the form of a big hug, hours of time together, and much knitting by her side. She is settling in at her temporary home, getting a little more PT every day, and resting up for the duration.
It's time to get back to it. I love a road trip, but there's a lot to do. I've got new tires on the car, I've downloaded Away by Amy Bloom, and I'm close to having the store organized for my absence. I've got the hotel reservation, the trail mix, and new pj's. I have enough knitting in progress to satisfy the whims of at least ten knitters, so that's no problem. Now I need to clean up around here, or else I'll be ashamed to have the landlord come up and take care of Annabelle!
Will I be ready to fly down the road at the crack of dawn on Wednesday? I hope so!
Ah, friends. What a time. I wish I could write about all the wonderful knitting inspiration I've been experiencing, or the fantastic book I can't put down. How about ... nope. The thing is, I'm preoccupied with another chapter in the saga of the frail mother whose health keeps taking a turn.
Last week my mom was getting ready for her afternoon Bingo game (her favorite part of the day) and she fell and broke her femur (thigh bone). The only reason she didn't break her hip was that it still had the pin in it from two years ago. So now she's recovering from surgery (more metal holding her together) and will be moving to a nursing facility for rehab. Again. Each event takes a little more out of her. She's stoic, so I will be too, but it's hard.
When I emailed my friend Judy to tell her the news, she wrote back, "They shouldn't let old people play Bingo." I'll second that.
Our family has gotten past the "rush to be at her side" sort of thinking. Within hours of something like this, we are mobilizing and planning who will come when, and for what part of the recovery, and for how long. We coordinate our schedules, make our reservations for plane or hotel, and act. We're pros.
But I'm left feeling like a puddle of daughter-ness. Exhausted at work, distracted, a little weepy at odd moments. Thank goodness for the dysfunctional family that is my staff! They've been wonderful. Until I can go to my mother -- until it's my turn -- I have things to do here. I'm hoping that today, in this new week, I'll get to work and face it and get on with it.
I'll be driving to Maryland on the 19th. Between now and then I do have some nice knitting to keep me company. This is a scarf pattern I'm working up for Spirit Trail Fiberworks. The yarn is a cashgora-merino blend. It is so soft and so warm and so nice to knit with that the experience is like one of those Calgon Moments. I'm also knitting another pair of KR Hedgerow socks for one of the Remarkable R's. The model will get to have the originals, but the stylist needs her own pair too. They're of the same beautiful blue yarn as my Delicato Mitts.
Everything will be all right, I know it will. Everything will be different -- for my mother, for me, for our family -- and I know that, too. The tricky part is the navigating between now and then.
I'm still recovering from the last push at work, and I seem to have nothing to say.
Beautiful weather, a quiet Sunday, strawberries on my waffles, and old Mystery episodes have been quite therapeutic today. I have been knitting, but I'll show you next time.
At least I can knit and type and fix my own breakfast -- Teyani isn't so lucky at the moment. I have been thinking about her all day, every time I use both hands. Stop by her blog and show her some love, would you?
And while you're out and about, pop over and read about what my dear Ms. Amie is planning. She is some kind of woman, that she is, and if anybody can Kick Cancer in the Butt, she can.
"You have the nerve to be gone for six whole days, and then, what? You bring a puppy into the house? I won't be speaking to you any time soon, or at least not until I want my dinner."
