Abject

I was almost ready to publish the last of the historical posts, the one that would bring you up to date on this year's Stitches Midwest and was quite pleased with myself for posting on four consecutive days for the first time in who knows how long.  It needed one more picture, but I couldn't find the one I wanted.  No problem, I figured.  I'd just take another.  Then I made the dismaying discovery that the object I sought was not where I thought I left it. You may think I am unreasonably disturbed about this.  Abject is, after all, a pretty strong word, meaning to be brought low in condition or status, contemptible, miserable, wretched.  Let me tell you the story.

Truth be told, the summer of 2011 was not the best summer of my entire life. Not the worst, either, but I said yes too many times.  Conned myself that since commitments did not actually overlap or conflict that I could handle it.  I suppose I did, but it wasn't pretty and frankly, by the time Galena and then Stitches Midwest arrived I was pretty wrung out. 

It may be that I was therefore disproportionately touched by the fact that the Girl Wonder* sent a package to the Princess that was not to be shared until we were at Stitches and dispensing party favors (which I can't show you, because it would spoil some surprises for her).  The contents did not disappoint.  Inside were knitters pins, once for each of us --that would include my sister and the Eldest Niece -- tiny balls of different colored yarn, stuck through with tiny knitting needles made from toothpicks with different colored beads for the tops and threaded onto tiny safety pins so we could wear them.  Girl Wonder had made them.  I wore mine all through Stitches.

This one is not mine.  This is the Princess's.  Mine was a warm and beautiful golden amber sort of brown and the beads on my  knitting needles were red.  It looked smashing against the blue of my hand-knit sweater.  By the time I was ready to take a picture for the Stitches post, though, I had lost one of my needles. I put my pin (the best of the lot, I can assure you) someplace safe (I thought) while I either located my lost needle or replaced it.  Instead I've lost the whole pin.

I could just spit nails. I'm so sorry, Girl Wonder.  Would I be out of line to note that Christmas is coming?

* Right. I promised an explanation. Well, the Princess, during her sojourn on the other side of the pond was, for reasons that are lost to me, "Batman."  Batman's companion is Robin, the Boy Wonder.  The Princess companion, however, is female.  Hence, Girl Wonder. I'm rather proud of it.