Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets

I have always wanted people for whom I would be happy to go to the end of my resources for. People who stirred in me the deepest feelings of friendship. There are few times in my life where I have had totally unreserved friendship.

Here and now, in this place, the most unlikely people have become some of my closest friends. People who started out as customers have housed me in their homes and shared their tables with me. People who were once co-workers have become neighbours and family, as close and dysfunctional as any other.

On mornings where the practicalities of my life do not distract me, and everything is easy – even the morning traffic – I realize how beautiful my life really is, and I cherish it because the days when it’s not easy are when I think about how much I love these people, this place, my job and my home.

A year ago I was alone in Portland, without many people to turn to when disaster struck. I was just out of high school, struggling with school and the money it devoured, training in the most hectic season at the shop.

Today, you can call me Lola.

I Will Not!

I refuse to, I will not, it is not happening, there will be none of this crazy, crazy boy-knitting going on unless it’s for ME.

I have been making forays into the Dating Territories, which are the Wild West of the human experience. All the laws are unwritten and, it seems, easily breakable. I am forever confounded by the number and manner of small things that can throw any interaction spinning in a wildly new direction.

Here Be Dragons, says the Map O’ Life across Boy Territory. Insanity, sheer insanity.

The Baltic Sea sweater and I are having some very in depth discussions lately about zipper facings. We seem to have decided that they are not the thing for us, and that’s O.K. So now I just have to buy the zipper, sew it in twice (once to fail, once to get it right.) and then wear it around all happy and snug as can be.

During these troubled, zippered times, though, I turned to the comfort of mindless stockinette in the round in the form of a new sweater. The Lake Chelan pullover that I am making for myself is truly a balm for the spirit. I am truly enjoying it, and I think I will wear it frequently. It is a vague nod towards EZ, as I am following some of her advice but not all of it. For instance, I did 30 rounds of ribbing at the cuffs and welt to make it “more elastic”, but I did not use a smaller needle or subtract 10 percent from my overall stitch count. I will be doing a seamless set in sleeve, I think, but I am still unsure.

In the middle of it all is a flighty little brioche scarf from two colours of Aysen, the Aracaunia handpainted silk/wool blend. It’s truly, truly scrumptious.