Knitters are the best people.

Karin heard it was my birthday.

She wanted to send me a present.

She said it was a book.

Here's what arrived in the mail today.

and:


and:


Oh my goodness, what luscious beauty. Wow. I don't know what I did to deserve this, but I should keep doing it, because this made my day.

And it needed to be made. Went over to Mom's today to do laundry. Turns out that my aunt did not get chosen for the trial, and she's made the decision that if (when) the cancer resurfaces, she's not going to do any more chemo. Which will make the end pretty inevitable. Although I'm not surprised by this, I feel like I'm already grieving.

I can't knit her socks today. I just can't do it. I'm going to pack for a little bit -- we're moving to a new apartment in ten days or thereabouts -- and then I'm going to take the gorgeous purple Bamboo that Karin sent me, and find some size 8s or so, and start an Angel Pearls scarf for me. No beads, because I don't have any big enough for worsted weight yarn (although I'm going to check Earthfaire and see if she has anything that might work for a tassel), but I need some pretty yarn flowing through my fingers in a pattern that I know well enough to be soothed by it.

Tomorrow, I'll knit socks. I promise.

I love you all; just want to make sure you all know.