Yesterday was Afghan Guilt Day.  Seeing it in print, I realize it looks like
an international day of observance – political awareness rallies, demonstrators
with signs!  Actually, it was the day
Sarah and I set aside to deal with neglected afghan projects.

An afghan is a fairly easy project to neglect because it
tends to be big.  It seems pretty
wimp-ish to give up (even temporarily) on, say, a sock or a baby sweater, but
setting aside something substantial – like an afghan – seems almost
sensible.  One has to pace oneself.   And a sock wears out, a baby sweater is
out-grown, but an afghan lasts forever.   In theory, at least.  So, what difference does a few weeks – or
months or years – make? 

Well, my two neglected afghans were/are/will be wedding
gifts.  According to etiquette, a wedding
gift should be given within a year of the wedding date.   I am several years past that deadline on
both.  Hence the guilt. 

Sarah’s afghan was/is/will be a baby blanket for her son
Max.  Max is 20 months old and while he
might not out-grow an afghan before it is made, Sarah (as I just found out
yesterday) has reason to knit a second baby afghan for a blessed event in early
May.  Hence the guilt.

So, yesterday, we dug out the afghan projects.  Sarah’s was still relatively fresh and soon
she was knitting productively.   Mine required a bit of study, but I deciphered
my notes (I will say I am a compulsive note-maker when I knit – fortunately!)
and figured I could move ahead.   I chose to start (or re-start) the simpler of
the two since I am in the process of doing several other pieces that use lace
patterns and do not want to over-tax my brain – a little humility is a good
thing. 

I had just begun to knit when I found that the cheap plastic
circular needle it was on had broken.  (Mother!
What is that in your knitting! –
Sarah does not approve of cheap plastic needles)  I retrieved the stitches and announced that
we had to make an emergency run to the yarn shop.  I checked to see if I had the right size and
length in my supply of needles and, of course, I did not.  So, we left Max (who was fortunately asleep)
with my husband, George (who was fortunately at home) and dashed off to the
yarn shop. 

I congratulate myself on purchasing only 2 skeins of yarn
while buying my circular needle.  They
are for a collar to go with the poncho I am knitting – I had not originally
planned to make a collar, but became inspired at the shop.  Technically, that is not “starting another
project,” of course. 

And now I am virtuously chugging away at the afghan.  

And we will not, at present, discuss the wisdom of
scheduling Sweater Guilt Day or Shawl Guilt Day or Vest Guilt Day or Scarf
Guilt Day….