Ali's Shower

My stepsister, Ali, had the most lovely baby shower yesterday!

My stepmother went all out. She served tarts, cream pastries, and trays of home-made sandwiches on silver serving platters. There were half a dozen choices of loose leaf teas to be served with sugar cubes and cream. She HIRED A HARPIST, which officially made the baby shower more elaborate than my wedding. The tables were set with lace tablecloths, linen napkins, and fresh cut tulips.

I arrived early to arrange tarts and fold napkins. During the gift-giving, one of my fears was realized and someone else got Ali the same gift as me, but of course the gift receipt was included and I'm sure the refunded cash will be appreciated. I did not get the hat finished, of course, but I will before the baby is born.

I discovered that I knit like I cook. Recipes are fun and informative at first, especially when learning. But I've never, ever been able to crack open a cookbook, choose a recipe, and select ingredients accordingly. Instead I decide to bake, say, a casserole with sweet potatoes, broccoli, and coconut milk. Then I have to find a recipe that at least comes close to producing what I want with what I have...even if it turns out to be a recipe for spinach and broccoli quiche.

I've done the same thing in pursuit of the baby hat: I chose the yarn and cloth, then tried to find a corresponding pattern. And, of course, couldn't. It also doesn't help that I don't really know how to read patterns in the first place. But in the same way I know that blending sugar, butter, and chocolate in almost any quantity will result in delicious, I'm fairly certain that knitting and purling a beautiful yarn will result, somehow, in a lovely garment. It's just a matter of quantity and care. At least, that's what I'm telling myself. I'll let you know how it turns out.