Knit Sisters

On Friday night, whilst I was at her house playing a game, Mother announced to me that I really needed to get to work on that new shawl, because she and I are both going to need a pretty shawl to wear to the wedding.  

(See, I was working on the pink baby blanket at the time.  Admittedly, this is a hard project to justify, seeing as how I am neither pregnant myself nor do I know anyone with a new baby girl who is near and dear enough to me to merit a baby blanket with an intrinsic value of $400.  In fact, the only person who is near and dear enough to me to receive such a baby gift actually recently gave birth to a baby boy.  But I digress.)

“Oh?” I said.  “How do you figure that?”

“Well,” she said, “I figure it’s going to be pretty chilly out there on that headland, and summer in the San Francisco area isn’t that warm at the best of times.  And a pretty shawl will look ever so much more elegant than a jacket.  If we don’t have something pretty to wrap up in, we’ll have to have jackets to wear!”

Certainly a fate worse than death. 

Then, she went on and on about how beautiful Rumpelstiltskin was looking, and how it was ephemeral and gossamer-light and gorgeous.

“You’ll have to wear that one, though,” she said.  “Because as beautiful as it is, if I wore it I’d look like I was the same color as the shawl.”  (Our mother is convinced that she cannot wear light-colored neutrals.)

Huh. 

I believe this is an elaborate scheme on Mother’s part to cabbage onto the Handsome Triangle shawl.  It’s obvious to me that she wants it.  If I let her wear it at the wedding, my goose will be cooked.  I’ll never wear that shawl again.

Nevertheless, the challenge has been issued. 

The gauntlet has been thrown down.

Can I finish Rumpelstiltskin in time to wear it to Ellen’s wedding?  Like the dutiful and obedient daughter that I am, I have been working on it.

I am into the second ball of yarn and into the 11th pattern repeat.  Of thirty-nine.  And then there’s the elaborate edging.

Place your bets, ladies and gents!  Can I finish this shawl in time?  Given my notorious propensity for laying aside a project in the middle to pursue something new?  Well, I’ll just have to be diligent about this one.

After all, I wouldn’t want to have to wear a (gasp) jacket to my only sister’s wedding.

P.S.  OK, I have snuck in a few more squares on the baby blanket.  It’s just so portable! 

 

Sorry, Mom!  Happy Mother’s Day anyway!