First off, I disappeared from the blog for 14 days- TWO WEEKS. How did that happen?! This is the first time I've been gone for so long. After our bundle of houseguests left, I decided I should head home to Ohio to see my family. Particularly my uncle, who wasn't doing so well. At first, I was leaving with computer and puppy (Roxy) in tow, all the way up to Columbus for a fun visit.
I saw my uncle on Tuesday. By Saturday, he had passed away. Roxy and I have been pretty downhearted.
Luckily for me, my husband hopped in the car on Sunday and drove 17 straight hours to get here and give us lots of hugs. We'll be here for a little while longer and then drive back down to Texas town.
While I was with my uncle on Tuesday, he slept on and off during our visit. I knitted more on Meridien, which is still in progress. Having started the sweater the day after Valentine's day, I feel like it has taken foreverlong to finish.
At the same time, I feel like this sweater has lots of special meaning to me. The yarn was purchased at Purl Soho in New York, while my husband, dad, and I were in town for a Rolling Stones concert.
The sweater followed me through the tough choice of walking away from my very nice job, on another adventure into a new part of life. A decision like that, for a person like me, was not easy. I really struggled with being "jobless," trying to connect the dots between who I am, what I do, and how much one of those things should control the other.
My sweater greeted 6 houseguests (and 4 guest dogs!) since it began.
It kept me company through the end of my semester of teaching-- it was with me when I found out the exciting news that I'd be teaching again next year, this time for both semesters. My dean called said it was (I think, surprisingly) "domestic" of me, which I choose to kind of take as a compliment. Knitting isn't something people would pin on me right away.
My sweater was with me in Italy, across the Tuscan countryside in a train, moving quickly enough to blur trees and small towns. It walked the streets of Rome and ate gelato in Florence. It was the main entertainment on 2 transatlantic flights.
My sweater celebrated my second wedding anniversary.
It celebrated the birth of a new baby- our friends' new son.
And it's here to say goodbye to my uncle, Steve.
Can you get this from other hobbies? I don't know of anything else that helps me get through hard times, but somehow it's soothing to just keep knitting. Stitch by stitch, moment by moment, until the storm passes and the sun's out again.
- YX
beautiful post, in so many ways
ReplyDelete>"Can you get this from other hobbies? I don't know of anything else that helps me get through hard times, but somehow it's soothing to just keep knitting. Stitch by stitch, moment by moment, until the storm passes and the sun's out again."
ReplyDeleteWell said, Jacki. Sometimes my knitting is more of a comfort blanket to mitigate day-to-day tension. I have to have it with me "just in case" I get a chance to work on it. In reality, it's a comfort to just have a project stuffed in my purse.
There's also the brighter side of knitting; the camaraderie with other knitters, the creativity, the satisfaction of an FO, the simple, meditative peace of the repetitive motion and the feel of yarn in your hand...
Big hugs to you and your family.
*hugs* I'm so sorry for your loss. My knitting has accompanied me through a friend passing away this year as well, and sometimes it really feels like the only way to keep moving forward.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for your loss. Also, this is a lovely post.
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