In case you think that I’d forgotten

Or is it: in case that you’ve forgotten? Is that a line from a song? Or am I misremembering the early 80s? I did try googling it but to no avail. Then again, I may have been listening to obscure stuff back in the day, so whatever. In any case, it’s forgotten! Or almost.

Back to my point: I still know how to knit. And although I’m a little behind on my self-appointed monthly mitten knitting, I’m doggedly doing my best to catch up. The mittens I began on the 29th of July, Tulip Mittens from Riihivilla, then rudely cast aside to crochet endlessly for Robyn (no regrets), are advancing swimmingly. The wool (Finnish) is naturally dyed and so beautiful I am enjoying every stitch. I particularly like working on them in public. Somehow knitting on these feels dressed-up as if they are a fancy restaurant knit, or a sitting-in-church knit, not a run-of-the-mill, slouching-in-the-hall-of-Eastman knit, or waiting-alongside-the-Genesee-river-near-the-boathouse knit.

What? Why would I be waiting alongside the Genesee river near the boathouse? Over the past couple of weeks, Kate flirted seriously with joining crew this fall for Brighton High School and the Brighton Rowing Club’s novice season. She is also beginning high school (9th grade — how is this possible?) this fall with extended studies in every subject that allows it, doubling science, taking history of western music at Eastman’s community school, and continuing her rigorous piano study. After careful consideration on her part, and silent, somewhat desperate tearing-out-of-hair on mine, she decided to forgo crew until maybe next year. Bullet dodged.

And because time marches relentlessly on, I began another pair of mittens 29 August. These are Woodruff by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed, knit in his delicious wool, Shelter. I began them just to say I’d done so, but after a few rounds to establish the pattern of the first, I dropped them and returned to crocheting: the crocheting which is now done, out of my hands and the last bit sent to Robyn this past Thursday.

And I have to confess: I’ll be so pressed for time this month (September, how you snuck up on me!) I chose this mitten pattern for the chunkiness of the wool. No fine fingering weight for this month! They will be a quick knit in bits of time that are left to me after studies and work and the baking of cookies. And, you know, that other pair of mittens I meant to finish in August.