Out of Norway

 

Can you pick out the Americans in the picture?  Who isn't wearing black?


And back...
I dressed up like a big person, with real shoes that made me limp! I wrongfully assumed that the streets would be sloppy with snow, or rain, so I didn't bring proper dress-up shoes, and borrowed a beautiful pair of purple shoes that belong to Celina. A size larger than what I wear, walked 10 minutes over the cobblestones to the court house...ouch. I didn't mind!  My girl was getting married!!!


The big day began with a leisurely morning of casting on and salvaging an aborted project from the previous day. The dilemma of the wedding cuffs: When I had decided NOT to attend the ceremony (a few weeks back) I knew I wanted to make something that C could have with her. A trip to Durango to the local yarn shop and a serendipitous purchase of a "Knitting Traditions" magazine put me on the track of something small but personal: Wedding cuffs. I imagined that the bride and groom would walk over to city hall and little fancy cuffs under the bride's coat sleeves seemed perfect. And of course, she would wear her bright pink coat (her favorite) so pinks and purples--cant' go wrong. Right? Wrong. The coat would be shed and a borrowed ensemble of peach colors and red would be the dress of the day... I couldn't believe my eyes that she had betrayed her favorite colors. When I
arrived I gave it a day, and then announced that something had to be done about those pink/purple cuffs; the something being I had to make new ones in the appropriate colors. Yarn was purchased and the day continued with shopping and planning and baby holding and a nap and suddenly it was evening and I was starting my 40 x 2 rows of 60 stitches for the cuffs. I restarted 3 times, (too many stitches, wrong cast on) completed 10 rows and then the question about the prospect of finishing in time came up. It was decided I could knit up a few flowers and use as a pin... OK. I went to bed. 
 Up early, I started to cast on AGAIN.

 This time, in 1/2 hour I had a flower. I continued, knitting up 3 flowers in all, and rejecting one, went back to the unfinished cuff, bound off, sewed the flowers on and added a bright red French knot in their centers.  I was pleased, the bride was pleased. I watched, I held the baby, it was wonderful: Simple and elegant. Cake and champagne!