Thursday, February 01, 2007

Blame it on the ....

It's really hard to say how it happens. Six friends go off together for a weekend. You know each other; some better than others. You know a couple from outside of knitting. You're all of different ages and at different stages in life; some with smaller children, others with grown or no children. The only thing you all have in common however, is knitting.
The knitting starts, the weekend is before you. You eat (A LOT) you drink (A WHOLE LOT) and the stories that make us who we are begin to unfold. Some are so sad that your heart breaks. While others are so outrageously funny that your side hurts from laughing so hard and the tears are those of joy. Little by little you realize that these a wonderful women; truly amazing and great people. I have poured out my soul to them and they have accepted me. I've given them my best material and I'm still sleeping in the good bed!! You know that you have connected at a level that goes beyond acquaintance. These are now your "girlfriends". One of your own sad stories is that in your own life, you've never really had "girlfriends", never really learned how foster those kind of relationships. Now all of a sudden, you have five new ones. And you don't want to leave for fear of breaking the magic spell. You all feel that way.
So how does it happen? The realist in me says it's the wine. It can't be the hormones; half of the women are past that age (or so I'm told). Maybe it's the isolation - it's way the hell up near Canada and we were completely isolated. Nah, we had food and water for an army, music and DVDs that we never even broke into. Oh, and we had our cars. The romantic in me says maybe it's the love of the craft and that knitting is the bond that will keep us together. But even that seems kind of shallow. I've met or "blog-met" some equally amazing and wonderful people through knitting (do you know who you are or do I need to name you??) whom I hold as dear these women. And if knitting were to disappear, I would have to trust that they'd still find me their friend.
So, maybe, I'm just getting better at this whole freindship thing. Maybe, I'm and OK person to have as a friend?
As a hostess gift for our gracious hostess, I taught all the girls how to knit Log Cabin Squares. Our last evening and morning we all knit like fiends so we could leave the cabin with as many squares as possible. We also left her with gobs of stash yarn so that she can teach other guests how to make squares too. When (if?) we are invited next year we'll all put the sqaures together to start a big patachwork throw for her cabin.
Other than the squares, can you identify the other projects I worked on during the weekend? There's a prize if you do. It'll have to wait until after February 11 when Jon and I return from Mexico. All that relaxing got me in the mood for a warm weather vacation. Plus - 18 below zero - not so much!!