…But not in the way that you might think. Whereas diamonds last forever, sweaters just take forever to make! Once upon a time, many months ago, one eager knitter poured over catalogs of yarn and various patterns, picking out the most appealing colors and flattering shapes. Those eight skeins of yarn came quickly with rush mail, and were soon wound into balls and set onto needles. Brilliant lavender strands, soft as could be, and organic cotton no less! They were a joy to simply cast on with.
However, no matter how many stitches were knit and purled, progress was almost impossible to see, and it became abundantly clear that the sweater would not be finished for a birthday celebration only days away. Luckily, the incredibly patient and understanding recipient merely suggested that it would be just as nice as a Hannukah present, too. And so the knitter continued, metal needles clacking together late into the night… But alas, there were still two sleeves and a collar missing by the time the whole eight days of the holiday had elapsed.
Still undeterred, it sounded like this sweater might make an excellent mother’s day present instead. There was plenty of time until then, right? For most focused people, yes, but this knitter became forgetful, and the sad scraps of sweater remained untouched that whole time. Trashing the whole project was an enticing idea, but as the weather grew cold once again, a warm garment really did sound like a wonderful gift… And when else would I have enough free time to make such an involved project? It was now or never.
Down to the wire and a mere hour or two before it was time to light the final candle of the menorah, a real Hannukah miracle occurred: The last stitches made, seams were sewn, and ends were buried in. And so, over one year later (practically forever, if you ask me), a sweater was born!
Happy Birthday, Hannukah, Mother’s Day, Birthday, and Hannukah, Mom! Hopefully this thing lasts, because I have a feeling that it I won’t be making many more sweaters in the future.