Don’t Be Jealous . . .

I can’t take credit for the bunny. The pattern is from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson, and was was knit by my spouse. I can, however, take credit for receiving the bunny on my birthday, and for making it the first stuffed animal of my adult life. The bunny’s body is alpaca, and those pink ears are 100% angora. Perfect for absent-minded stroking while reading.

Feeling jealous? You should, and not just because of the bunny. All knitters know that the best recipient of a hand-knitted item is another knitter. Not only do knitters appreciate the item itself; they also know the time, energy, and skill that went into it. And when that other knitter is your spouse . . . well, it’s just kind of hard to beat.

Certain problems are unavoidable, though. That injunction against knitting a sweater for someone with whom you’re in love has not, thus far, been disproved by marriage (although neither of my attempts has resulted in divorce, and Tubey might be just the thing). My wife’s favorite thing to knit is scarves, and I don’t like having things around my neck. We manage, though. She appreciates each addition to her knitted sock collection . . . and I’ve got the bunny.

By the way, the construction of that crazy second sentence in the previous paragraph was no doubt influenced by Middlemarch by George Eliot, which I’m nearly done with. Hooray for 19th century novels!