Christmas Reminiscing

The big day is over, but I still have one more Christmas celebration,  Tomorrow we leave for Atlanta where we'll have Christmas with Kathy New Year's Eve then go on to Sunset Beach, North Carolina for the month of January.  It was in Sunset Beach last year that the idea for "Knitting: A Love Story" took root.  We are busy packing for a month away; Dick, Jan, Lucy and Murphy will spend a month in weather warmer than Michigan.  Of course, part of that planning and packing is knitting projects.  I have three; a Vivian Hoxbro to finish, one that is too cool for words (it is a Helen Hamann that I've had for a very long time.  It is unique, colorful, has beautiful yarn.  All the qualities I love in a project.) and a cowl called Suki Suki from those wonderful women at Knit-Purl.  More about those from the road.

On Christmas day, Barb and her son Greg came over for Christmas brunch.  That's when I gave her the Christmas treasure.

Those wonderful women from Knit-Purl sent a email with this fabulous scarf.  

I absolutely fell in love with it.  When I went to the Knit-Purl website (my computer just sort of automatically goes there when I log in), I found the yummy colors of Raspberry and Ash in Shibui Baby Alpaca.  Whoop-tee-do!  I could just see the scarf made in these two colors.  When I looked at the pattern closer, I discovered it was knit in the round.  The more I thought about it the more I realized this screamed "DOUBLE KNIT!!!"  The original pattern was knit with a different Shibui using two strands.  The women at Knit-Purl figured out for me how much yarn I would need changing to Baby Alpaca and using one strand.  So I changed the pattern.  I am so proud of this.  

This is the yarn I fell in love with.  Do you blame me?  I didn't know who I was knitting it for, I just knew it would be perfect.  I love to double knit.  Each side is the opposite image.  One side is Raspberry squares with Ash in between the other is Ash squares with Raspberry in between.  I really love the rhythm of double knitting.  I definitely stopped whatever I was knitting and picked this up.  I garnered another TBFL (To Be Finished Later) project.  

I don't want to sound conceited, but isn't it beautiful?  I absolutely love it.  It is one of my favorite things I've ever knit.  I am so proud that I changed the pattern to make it even better.  

It is always sad to part with a project you love but it is so exciting to give a project you love to someone you love.