Balance

People often talk about balance. Balancing work and play. Balancing time for others and time for self. Universal Balance. The balance to yesterday's sadness over the student suicide (which seems to have been a reaction to a breakup, rather than the end of an on-going struggle with depression) was the happiness of seeing Kevin off to his senior prom.

He and his girlfriend looked stunning. She is a wonderful girl, and I was utterly charmed by her simple and elegant gown. Champagne and tulle.



And if my reading list had been a bit of champagne and tulle lately, with two Jessica Mitford novels, I think I have sought the balance to the English Comedy of Manners with the American Crime "Novel". This one, Knit One, Kill Two is a bit of crime, and a bit of knitting and quilting -- with a recipie thrown in for added charm, I am sure.

And what is that you see there? Some real, not fictional, knitting? Yes, indeed, I've managed to get something on the needles, but not without a bit of drama, mind you. I had selected a mini-shawl pattern using Schaefer'"Anne" from the latest Knit 'n' Style, which is rather bizarre. Generally, this particular knitting magazine offers nothing that I would chose to knit or wear, but this particular round showed a bit more promise. I had cast on last week, and I immediately knew that there was something wrong in the pattern. The two-row repeat of increases were unbalanced, and it was clear to me that there needed to be an equal number of repeats on either side of the markers. Annoyed and defeated, I shoved the project aside.

After a five-minute rant about technical editing and managing to cock-up an easy shawl pattern, I cast on again, and it was rather smooth sailing. Could this little shawl be the knitting balance I need before I can tackle another garment? Perhaps, this is just a way to balance out my off-kilter knitting mojo.