There are tasks in life from which, once undertaken, there
is no escape.  Childbirth for
instance.  No one is going to step in and
take over for you – even if you beg.  It
just cannot be done. You have to do it yourself.   And then there are those tasks which you can walk away from – but if you do,
that’s it.    Like cleaning out your own
closets.  No one else is going to finish
up for you and you have to live with the Un-Accomplished.

Then, there is that miraculous and rare gift:  when someone swoops in and finishes that task
which you undertook with the greatest of good intentions and then let slide
with the greatest of guilt, that task which, though worthy, lost momentum way
too soon.  For example:  The Afghan of Guilt.

Despite its rather downer of a title, the A. of G. was began
with loving enthusiasm:  a wedding gift
for a dear niece.  Several years
ago.  It is a Lions Brand Yarn pattern –
very cool, actually, with concentric rings worked in a range of colors.  One commences in the center with small quick
rings, progressing to larger and longer rings until the End of Time.  In stockinette and reverse stockinette. 

I confess, it was the endless stockinette (we call it
“Stockinette Wasteland”!) that got me. 
And (sigh) I should have known better from the get-go.  I just cannot bring myself to do that much
plain knitting.  I will always find myself waking up one morning
with some foxy cable or a seductive little bit of lace, the poor stockinette
stuffed in the back of a drawer somewhere. 
I am shameless.

So, the A. of G. languished. 
And I kept telling myself that I would get inspired to finish it –
somehow, someday.  Then, this summer –
out of the blue! — Sarah scooped it up, saying “I could stand to do some
mindless knitting.”  And a few weeks
later, it was done.  Miraculous! 

Well, miraculous for me
— a LOT of knitting for Sarah!   By the
final round she had upwards of 700 stitches on the (extended!) circular
needle.  It took her an hour to bind off.  

Thank you, Sarah! 
Thank you, thank you, thank you!