Recently I had to abruptly leave my family, and my house. Twenty minutes to gather some belongings for a duration that is unknown. I received a phone call that my grandmother is on her last breath and if I want to see her I should come as soon as possible. Her health has been declining for the last year, it’s been one problem after the next. She’s been fighting hard and now seems ready to rest. With the help of my sister in-law train tickets are bought for my mother and I in record time. 

So here is how knitting ties into this muy rapido scenario. My daughter is gathering all my essentials and I’m thinking of what I can bring to help me get through the dreaded ten hour train ride and with the thought of making it on time to see my grandmother. I bring a book I’ve been reading “if I stay”. Later on I realize it wasn’t one of my best choices. Knitting, don’t forget the knitting. I’m still laboring on cowls and this is one of my favorite stitches yet, the windmill. It’s a beautiful deep red perfect for the fall season and it is turning out nice. So of course I bring this for my trip.

With the intentions on finishing this cowl I bring it with me everywhere I go. I’m in Albuquerque, New Mexico staying with two different family members and traveling between four homes for ten days with my knitting at my side. I work on it during what I call my down time. Here’s where things start getting confusing, I’m traveling everywhere and I forget where I last left my knitting. By now I’ve been in five different cars, but I find it anyways. Yay! Well this continues through most of my stay I lose it, I find it. 

My grandma passes which was expected and by now I’m emotionally and physically drained. Time to collect all my belongings and  make my way home. But once again I’ve misplaced my knitting and I become frantic and start calling everyone that I have traveled with or have spent time in their home. No one can recall seeing it. So in the end I leave New Mexico without my favorite cowl and it is unfinished.  

To conclude this story I don’t know what to do about my knitting. Do I buy new number seven DPN’s and yarn then start again? Do I wait until everyone is settled and ask if they can look again and if found please mail it to me? I don’t like the idea of an unfinished project that I may never see again. The fruit of my labor not being enjoyed is what saddens me the most. Don’t get me wrong I have had unfinished work before but with the idea that I can pick it up and finish it whenever I want.

So what would you do in this situation, start a new pattern with a new color or do you try the same project all over again? Have you ever traveled on vacation or had to leave suddenly on a family emergency with your knitting project and lost it or left it? If so what did you do? Love to hear your story! Till then HAPPY KNITTING.