You see him/her across a crowded room or in a picture some place, perhaps on the Internet. Sometimes it is love at first sight but other times you see them over and over and they grow on you, slowly becoming more desirable. If you are already in a relationship it might take a little more to catch your eye but you do still have a niggle of desire and think, ‘well, maybe…’ just a little flirting won’t hurt.
Sound familiar…not in a human way (well there might be that, too), but in a knitting way? It can be ‘love at first sight (site?)’ or you see it over and over and it grows on you to the point that you think it really IS cool enough to knit. Right? You might head out to the LYS and have a touchy, feely thing before making sure it is worth your time, effort and expense. You might take the ‘mail order bride’ approach and have it shipped sight unseen, knowing your many friends wouldn’t, couldn’t steer you wrong. Right? You might even have had a passing fancy with the yarn in the past and know it is wonderful and therefore it’s easy to fall ‘in love’. All that leads to the OOD becoming a constant companion.
By touching, petting and fondling the knitting in our laps for extended periods of time, our intimacy with the OOD grows. We dream of the day we’ll be able to wear the said object and the love continues. There may be time we grow tired of it or become fickle as other things come along to catch the eye and draw the attention away (oh boy, can we be fickle knitters!). But if it is true love, the feeling will survive through thick and thin, back we’ll come begging forgiveness. There are times when a divorce may seem necessary but if it is true love you will get through the tough times and carry the love through to fruition.
When the time of touching is over do you feel a sea…lost without the lovely OOD in your hands? It is difficult to turn quickly to another project, even with many more OODs waiting in the wings. It seems a little too fickle to move on without homage to the loved one but we do have the wonderful feeling of reliving that relationship over and over when we wear it.
This has happened to me with so many OODs since I started blogging. Nearly every KAL has drawn me in either with ‘love at first sight’ or they have grown on me over time. It has happened very recently with Butterfly, which grew on me slowly (the yarn has arrived!) and Gloria (love at first sight). It was Monica’s beautiful Gloria that got to me and when I bought the book for Butterfly I knew Gloria had to be knit first of the two. They will both be waiting in the wings as Blaze and Lotus are on the needles now and I do love them, too. Call me an ‘oh so VERY fickle’ knitter!
And if you think about knitting as love…check Sharon’s blog for knitting as ‘sin’!
Wish Wendy well (if you haven't already) and may she continue to blog. What a very different place Blogland would be without her.
Yes, all of the KALs and CALs out here in blog land have my head spinning. I finished up two CALs, and I've picked my knitting needles for the Klaralund sweater because it's cute and looks easy.
Then, I'm back to my Sally Raglan. My hubby has wound up all the rest of the skeins for me.
Posted by: Vera | October 27, 2004 at 06:12 AM
I love looking through knitting books and picking out something beautiful to knit...but there is someting about the knitalongs that brings along intrigue with them. Alot of what I knit is from seeing other beautiful patterns knitted up!
Posted by: Eilene | October 27, 2004 at 08:44 AM
I've felt the same way about Klaralund. I'm in the "I'm not sure I like it yet" stage but I'm getting closer to liking it!
Posted by: monica | October 27, 2004 at 09:33 AM
*dreamy sigh* Love at first sight....such is the way with yarn AND cats. I've experienced both. There's nothing like it in the world.
Posted by: La | October 27, 2004 at 10:28 AM
Oh, that is so true! I remember the dark days of knitting in the mid to late 90's when I'd actually purchase supplies for things I didn't really want to knit just so that I would have something to knit. I think that the internet must have a lot to do with knitting's resurgence, because blogs and online yarn shops have really whetted my appetite again. Case in point. . . your Lara yesterday!
Posted by: Susan | October 27, 2004 at 08:40 PM