Knock, knock

Or make that honk, honk.

Our mailman, who does not like to get out of his truck, has taken to honking when he has a delivery. At least he is no longer trying to fell the mailbox by shoving in huge bags of yarn, but really! It is only 68 degrees here, and it is a light mist, not even real rain. His compatriots up north have it a whole lot worse today.

OK, vent over.

I am waiting for this to arrive from an ebay purchase. I know, it seems a totally wacky purchase. While we never lived there, I still spent a lot of time there as a child. My mom’s dad retired from the army at Ft. Benning and they stayed in the area. My parents were married at the chapel, and my father taught jump school there, from those very towers on the right. (They were leftovers from the world’s fair in New York and the Army bought them to train rangers…trivia you never knew you needed). My baby sister Sally was born there. Our Cocker Spaniel Buffy is in the pet cemetery there.

I generally collect fancier blue and white plates, I have a thing for corny Americana. But the tanks around the edges? I couldn’t resist.

So anyway, no plate today, but we did get a Christmas box from my snappy brother in law. Oddly enough, the one that is permanently banned from being on Ft. Benning because he got arrested during a peace protest there while he was in college.

Which reminds me, he needs a scarf. Which means, I need to knit one. Which means, I need to start one.

I am thinking of using some alpaca I have, and doing a lengthwise garter stitch thing, but I do have a question. How long should such a scarf be? I want it to sort of look like those plaid wool ones that dads wear.

At least mine did. He used to give us long lectures about crossing a scarf over your vital organs to keep them warm to prevent hypothermia. That’s what happens when you have an army ranger dad, you can always find north, you know about good and bad bugs, in case you are ever stuck in the wild without a snack, and you can prevent hypothermia.

I think all of this might have been the seed that grew into my knitting obsession…"must stay warm”. I am thinking I might now have a good name for the pattern for Dad’s vest…hmmm.

As a side note I can also start a fire anywhere, with almost anything. Even in the pouring rain. A special talent, I know. Can’t drive in reverse, but I can get you home with warm feet!