So long, farewell...

So last Tuesday was a special day at SSK. It was Amy's last day. I arrived late because I was working on something that I haven't told you bloggers about yet, since Amy is probably my most avid reader. I contacted the SSK gals via Ravelry with an idea to make a rememberence blanket for Amy as a going-away present, to show her how much we'll miss her and how much she has brought to our group: teacher, fellow yarn fondler, resident famous designer who we can brag about, and most of all, friend.

I had given few directions: worsted weight yarn and 12" x 12". The maker could choose whether it was knitted or crocheted, the color(s) and yarn cuontent, whether it was lace, fair isle, intarsia, granny square, whatever. Some were stumpted as to what they should do. My only suggestion was, "make something she'll remember you by." From the end of May until the end of June, SSK members got the squares in secret. Some met me in front of the Giant in my apartment complex, pulling up to the curb and giving me a secret package (which looked like a drug deal a bit). Others sent me them in the mail, and--my favorite because it was the most sneaky--most snuck their warm and beautiful squares into my bag on Tuesday nights with Amy sitting right there. At the beginning of knit night we are all walking around the tall table, settling in, eating, and seeing what each other has been working on since last week. The knitter/crocheter would say, "hey Emily," give me the look of I have my you-know-what for you-know-who's blanket, to which my response would be the look of, come over and slip it in my bag while Amy is up there getting her food, and the drop would happen. I accumulated in my room a pile of diverse squares, which the cat seemed to enjoy playing with. And I, of course, procrastinated until he very end in assembling the blanket.

I spent last week and weekend crocheting a white border on each square, trying to make exactly 45 SC's on each side with a corner of 3 SC's. I'd mark each corner with a removable stitch marker, and then a piece of waste yarn when I ran out. I finished the squares Sunday night, and then began putting them together on Monday. I thought I'd never finish! I attached the last stitch as I fell asleep, then Tuesday after work I finished up by doing a border and weaving in ends.


Then Heidi and I headed off to knit night to present it.


It was a great night full of friends,


Some who don't stop by that often.
Hint!
Hint!

I had also made an amigurumi doll which I like to call Amy-gurumi. In my psychodynamics class (i.e. Freud & less extreme stuff), we learned that a transitional object can be used to help a client cope with termination of therapy. So I made this:

as a gift to the group. She will come to group and represent Amy.

I presented it after the blanket.

It was such a fun night.