I've been gone for a while. Several times I've drafted out a post to explain why, but let's just say that during a certain period of time, knitting and the knitting community were not what I needed them to be. I could write a lot and I think some would find it gratifying and/or enlightening, but as Stephanie says, "We're listening." The post I'm not posting would beg to differ, but let's just all be polite and move on.

Anyway .... I hadn't been knitting for a very long time. Then one day a few weeks ago I was out on my balcony watering my flowers and my newish, rarely-seen neighbor came out to her balcony and we started talking and eventually she hopped the railing and shared a bottle of wine with me and we got to know each other. She's a knitter! That was all it took. Someone new to me who enjoys something that I had basically shoved into plastic bins in the basement got me to re-examine it. I've been re-examining a lot of things and not because I'm in one of those "how did I get into this mess" phases, but instead because I'm in one of those "Wow, I finally got to a good place" phases.

Things are going well in many realms and frankly ... I'm a bit giddy. I'm "present" enough to appreciate things that I used to, like photography and hiking and wrapping string around sticks. I even had the attention span to read Yarn Harlot straight through from Dec 2009 to the present. Suddenly I can fish a scarf out of the bottom of a basket and spend 10 minutes weaving in the ends to call it "finished." Suddenly I'm ... satisfied. As evidenced by my unexpected appearance at Knit Nite this week, I have no idea what's going on with anyone or how you are or what you're doing. Please fill me in. I'm here!

"Midwest Moonlight" from Scarf Style

3 balls of Nashua Creative Focus Worsted

Unblocked and I don't plan to.

Please pardon the messy balcony.  I was more anxious to catch the light than to sweep first. :)