It all started after the birth of my sweet little girl. I had been knitting off and on since I was 9 and the knitting bug really took permanent hold while I was pregnant. I was a teenmom and knitting became an outlet to help me deal with the anxiety and fear of this situation I now found myself in. Well, as she grew so did my abilities and by the time she was four I decided to tackle a very simple sweater for her. Being young and naive, I bought several skeins of Red Heart acrylic 😉 and used an easy sweater pattern in a book I had.
I spent weeks working on this thing. Hours of love were poured into this little sweater. It worked up very sweetly. I had a very hard time with the finishing, the mattress stitch defied me. I finally completed the sweater and the Monkey just loved it, the first night she wore it we went out to get ice cream to celebrate. 4 Year old + ice cream= BIG MESS! I was so glad I had made this thing in something washable. So I put it in front of the washing machine as I was going to put it in the wash once I got the naked ice cream covered child out of the tub…
Did I mention that at this time the Monkey had a puppy (yep, Simon)? A big fluffy yellow ball of love and mischief. Well, this puppy had a habit of eating things, importing things, expensive things…handmade things. It really is amazing that he survived puppyhood, considering all the things he ate. When I came back downstairs to put the sweater in the wash, there sat a puppy with a sweater hanging out of his mouth, licking the ice cream with delight! I’m not sure what happened after that, I think I blacked out when I went into my phsycotic-screaming episode. All I know was, I ended up sobbing with a new sweater in hand, one sleeve eaten, the bottom ribbing half eaten and it had only been worn once. I cried, the Monkey cried, Simon cried… I kicked him.
I didn’t have the heart or the ability to fix the sweater. It got thrown out. The dog wouldn’t come near me for a week. All I had to do was lear at him and he would hide under the dining room table. Needless to say, this was the start of my sweater complex.
Ill-Fated Sweater Files continued tomorrow.
On a happier note: Mom enjoying her very soft fuzzy bed socks!
Cold Coffee 
acK! What a story! At least she got to wear it at least once before it was mauled 😀
ps your mom certainly looks like she is enjoying her socks! Look at that smile!
Is this picture of your mom recent? When are they going to take down their tree? She looks sick! She claims I gave her a cold…sheeze…over the internet even!
I loved your story about Simon the sweater eating dog! Your a good story writer 🙂
oh i feel for you. The frustration and pride of 1st sweater. Knowledege that puppies don’t know better … can’t wait to read the next installment
Polly
Ouch, that’s a painful story. My heart weeps for you and the lost sweater.
Oh no!! I am confident you can break the curse.
Tell that “Aunt Brenda” person that yes, I am in the throws of a full-blown cold and also that some of us celebrate the 12 days of Christmas. I don’t have to take my tree down until this weekend!
I won’t bring up the fact that I was promised a sweater way, way back for a Mother’s Day long ago and picked out yarn, too. Hey! It took me five years to do my first sweater and finally your Grandma Besemer finished it for me. It’s in your blood, kiddo! Love, Mom 🙂
Take heart dear child. It took me eight years to complete a sweater for myself. With 5 kids, doing ironings for several other families, room mother, den mother, making mittens, sweaters, face masks, bedspreads, afghans in my ‘spare time’ didn’t leave much time for ME. Keep it up! You’re doing great! ! ! Love ya. Gigi I won’t mention the afghan I finished that your Mom started . . . that was after I had everyone married off 🙂