I went through all the blogs on the knitalong without finding any solution to my unhappiness with the T-shirt. However, Mia left me some encouraging words, so I took her advice and washed and blocked the thing. There was a bit of improvement, but I think perhaps the solution is the one Scriveling offered: if anyone gets close enough to critique my knitting while I’m wearing it, I’ll slap ’em.

While circling the blogs, I found this peculiar post by a boy who hates knitting. His dislike of knitting is abstract and irrational, which is the kind of dislike that I enjoy. Actually, I like abstract and irrational enthusiasms better, but there is something appealing to me in all daft but strongly-held opinions. In the next couple of days after this post, more people weighed in with more curious ideas. One woman said the problem with knitting nowadays is that too many inept people are doing it. She thought that the trendy knitting is like what you’d end up with if amateur opera became trendy. I want to say right here that I would love it if amateur opera became trendy and people all over the country were warbling “La Donn’ e Mobile” badly. I’ve probably misspelled that, just to set the ball rolling.

I don’t like that woman’s position. It is too elitist and mean-spirited. What I like is the entirely irrational passion for or against something. Like the woman who came into the store the other day and made a speech in favor of “chubby pencils” (the kind kindergartners used to use). I can get pretty emotional about punctuation, myself.

If you go read that post, though, be warned that there is some bad language there and in the comments.

#2 daughter and Dr. Drew arrived safely — the perfect cap to Mother’s Day. I wish #1 daughter had been here, too, but she did call several times, and we called her too, so she was sort of here. Her husband is on a submarine at the moment, so his mother did not get a Mother’s Day call from him. Still, he is safe, and plenty of servicemen are not. If you pray, then you might offer a bit of prayer for them and their mothers.