I was very, very, very, excited this Mother's Day. Not only are the kids getting to the age where they have their own money and therefore I truly get a surprise on Mother's Day (rather than the usual gasp of fake surprise at the pressie I picked out and paid for with my own money, but gave to daddy, to give to the kids, to wrap up and give to me,) they are also able to plan things and know what I like best. That said though being the military person I now am I couldn't let them take matters entirely into their own hands. What and have four differing opinions about what to get and what to do? I was way cleverer than that.
It began when I saw this fabulous knitting journal in my LYS. I just knew I had to have it. I wouldn't be able to live without it. If I left without that journal then my life thereafter would have been empty, void and somehow incomplete. There were however one or two minor problems, nothing that couldn't be overcome with a little bit of ingenuity. The first was the price. It was $50 and even my heart did a little flip at that, and it wasn't just the usual guilt of thinking about spending money on myself. That happens even when it's only two dollars. How could something made of paper cost so much? My heart really did sink. Oh but it was so lovely, the pages all glossy and it had a page to write down your stash, and web pages and pages for projects so I could transfer everything from the $2.99 journal I currently used as a knitting journal.
It had pockets to keep the ball band and oh so many more features. It was like sliced bread but better. The other problem was that I wasn't supposed to be buying books.
It would have been a disaster, parted from my true love before we'd even had a chance to get to know each other and enjoy a fulfilling relationship. But wait, brain started ticking and calculating. Eldest daughter just so happened to work in this LYS (more clever planning on my part. I get a very nice 10% discount) perhaps it could be put aside and I would pay a bit each week. It was definitely worth waiting for. So I arranged for it to be put behind the counter and I looked forward to daily visits to check on progress and reassure myself that it would be mine soon.
Of course I told dear daughters plus son and reminded them that Mother's Day was only a few months away (prior preparation is key) They looked distinctly uninterested as only teenagers can. But I knew they had heard and that I wouldn't have to spend a cent on that delightful book after all 50 divided by four is much easier on the finances. It meant playing a complicated game with them pretending not to know while all the time knowing they knew that I knew that they knew I knew what my present was. It was worth it.
Hopefully you're still with me. I love the journal and can't wait to start to fill in the pages.
Here's middle daughter very proudly showing off the Cat Hat she made from the Usbourne Knitting book.
It's her first piece of proper knitting and when she worn it to church on Sunday she got three orders from her pals to make them one.
It's hard to admit but her first piece is much better than my first efforts which was meant to be a doll's blanket but looked more like a lacy shawl. That would have been ok except it was all garter stitch. What was your first knitting project?
