Knitting Emergency!

Saturday we had a knitting emergency! I know I know you are wondering how to deal with a knitting emergency. Well the first step is not to slice open your left index finger with a pair of scissors. That definitely does not help resolve said emergency.

Saturday morning I awoke groggy and anything but rested. The night before we’d watched Gone Baby Gone and found it disturbing. Not because of the images on the screen, or an resolved plot but because of the fear that inner city life here in the Northeast could be that coarse, grimy, vulgar, treacherous, and cruel. The movie wasn’t set in some distant past or foreign country. It was set during present day in a city not 100 miles from my front step. It was definitely an eye opening film and worthy of acclaim for both Afflecks. But the movie did not cause the knitting emergency.

So Saturday morning the folks, The Boyfriend, and I pile into the car and head north for a family reunion. 4.5 hours there, visit for 4 hours, and drive 4.5 hours back. It was crazy but Dad was driving so I knew there’d be some quality knitting time. As I’m knitting along on the boy’s hat, Mum mentions that the neighbors daughter recently had a baby and…(insert dramatic music here)… Mum would like me to knit a baby blanket, booties, and a hat for her… for say next weekend!

Now I’m a fast knitter owing mostly to the number of hours I spend knitting in a week (typically 30 but that’ll be increasing). Red warning lights start spinning in my head and I hear the ambulance approaching…I think a blanket, booties, and a hat in a week is that even possible? I do like a good challenge... and my calendar is pretty free this week. I say ok I’ll do it. I’ll need worsted weight baby yarn and a pattern, neither of which are in the car so I continue working the boy’s hat and nap intermittently throughout the ride.

We arrived back at the house around mid-night on Saturday and I’m doomed to have another night freighting over life in the inner city. Sunday I awake and watch the clock tick by to 10am when I can make a break for A.C. Moore to get some baby friendly, worsted weight, pink and white yarn. Mum has said she wants pink and white. She picks an XOXO baby blanket that is knit in 5 long sections. I get the yarn and race home. Sit and start my marathon of knitting. Sunday I knit for a good 8 hours and completed 5 squares, about 20% of the blanket. I’m doing good. Saturday shouldn’t be a problem.

Monday morning I get up, work on it a bit and head off to knitting class. As this class is devoted to the Ivy League Vest I do not work on the blanket. I work on the blanket some more throughout Monday afternoon intermingled with playing with kittens. Go ahead and tell me Big Papi, Nessa's boy isn't the cutiest kitten eva!

Then Monday night after completing the 4th square I cut the white yarn and am about to switch to the pink when my scissors slip and I cut an inch long slice out of my finger! Yeah it hurt but you know I was willing to work through the pain only the excessive blood wouldn’t go so well on the pink yarn. Phooey! I had to stop knitting for the night and allow the finger some time to regenerate.