Yesterday I picked up a lace shawl that I had started last summer...and it is much more emotional to knit it now than it was then.

To back up, I am one of those people who associates places--and apparently things--with memories. So I can be in a city, see a monument or restaurant, and remember who I was with, how I was feeling, and what was going on in my life at that time. Most of the time, it is wonderful. I do not have the best memory. That award would go to my mom, who could tell you what she ate for breakfast 30 years ago. However, my memory is more like a thumb drive, except that I have many thumb drives that I've dropped all over the world and in different objects and smells. If you asked me about a memory right here and now, I may not be able to recall it. If you take me to a place or give me an object, everything comes back. Perhaps that is why I have trouble throwing stuff away. Anyhow...

Back to the knitting. Normally I knit a project straight through without stopping. This year I got backed up on projects and had to put the lace shawl down. It has been about six months or more since I have knit it.

The last time I remember knitting it was in June and July of 2012. I was starting a trip to Spain and lace shawls are perfect because they keep you busy for a long time, but don't weigh much or take up much space. I remember knitting it on the plane, both ways. I remember knitting it on the couch watching Canal de Cocina at 11pm or later. I remember working on it while lunch was being made: I can smell the Spanish-food goodness, the olive oil, fish, and cheese.

It is so odd to look at that blue shawl and see so much of Spain in it, even though the yarn is from who-knows-where, and the pattern is American and found on craftsy.com. So much has happened to me since that shawl was started. Still, I look at it and it remains the same, though a few rows longer. I wonder how I will feel about it when it is finally done.

So this shawl-to-be has been in Spain, Sicily, Tucson, and it is my project-of-choice for my road trip to San Diego this weekend. Perhaps it will be my memory of this year. It could be the name of a book: The Blue Shawl: a Year in the life of L--.

Happy Knitting!