Thank you and details

First of all I want to thank my commenters on the last couple of posts. 


The knitting advice has been so useful, helpful, and interesting. (Rebecca I am intrigued by your cardigan recipe, what do you mean join at the sides? Do you mean you knit the whole thing as one piece?) And thank you too Karen for the lead on that sock yarn, I have some on its way.


It means a lot to me when folks go to the trouble to comment on something I have written and to help me out. 


Since last we spoke I have that sweater done and it's downstairs drying from blocking. I have decided it was a smarty pants pattern - just because you know a technique doesn't mean you have to put it in everywhere - all those dozens and dozens of short rows were unnecessary I decided - reminded me a bit of those wearable art jackets that used to be around that had every known decorative technique on them.


All I have left now is a couple of days of sewing to do, more knitting, and my spouse will be home Saturday for two weeks.


Like many women of my generation who got married young and then had children I do not have much experience living alone. Even in my single mother years I was still a mother.


So for me to be on my own while my husband is sent off for work for long periods is an interesting and educational experience for me. A life stage I kind of skipped and am learning how to do now.


I come from a big and interactive family. 


I think I was about 35 before I was ever in a room by myself. 


In my house "being alone" was regarded as a sickness. I remember having a visitor stay with us once and my mother frantically calling us into the kitchen "Somebody get into that living room - he's in there reading the paper and He's Alone, someone go in an talk to him." Silence, in the house I grew up in, was evidence that someone wasn't doing their job.


And working, having a bunch of kids of my own, pretty much has filled up my own silences.


So it's a novelty to learn to be by myself.


I miss my husband and living with an advanced level eccentric and excellent cook. He's fun. But being on my own has been good for me.


I was reminded of this over the weekend as my two sisters-in-law and I took my mother-in-law to show her the apartment we have picked out right near me. This is chapter two of our campaign to move her in from the country where she has still being living since my father-in-law died into the city where we can help her out more. I think she will be really happy to be near family but the process of making a decision about what she herself likes is almost too much for her. She says she still hears his voice in her head telling her what to do, what she likes.


Now women of my generation can hardly imagine that but my own unfinished business is learning how to live when there isn't anyone in the living room I need to go and talk to.


Being so busy with my projects is taking care of this, and of course having two dogs around who are permanent children is good too.


Still, it's interesting and important to be doing this.


Now off to my daughter's mother-baby group.


Someone over there is in tears because she can't figure out how to turn the heel on the Christmas stocking she is knitting for her little baby. I just got the 911. 


Since I am now an expert ripper-outer this sounds like just the job for me.