I had dinner with three of my dearest friends last evening. We did a Christmas gift exchange, which is always fun. Linda Nichols, a fellow author and knitter, gave me one of Stephanie Pearl McPhee’s books, along with a bookmark.

The bookmark has a Scripture verse from Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope . . . faithful in prayer.

Yup, that pretty much describes me and the knitting process. I start out with joyful expectation. Usually, at some point during the project, I want to toss the entire thing on the carpet and stomp on it. That's where the faithful in prayer part comes in. Still, I love it. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.

I've been working on my knitting lately, finishing up a number of small projects and getting ready to knit others.  I finished the socks for my son, added the fringe to an afghan I knit for my brother, did the last of the beading work on a scarf project, and finished up two hats.

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee is known as the Yarn Harlot, and I know exactly what she means.  I hate to admit it, but I’m one, too.

I have a number of really wonderful projects all ready and waiting to be knit.  They’re neatly arranged in my yarn room, patiently waiting their turn.  Then some fancy new yarn will catch my eye and I decide I can’t live without it.  I buy the yarn, lavish it with attention, show it off to my friends, and turn my back on those waiting projects in order to start something new and wonderful with that new yarn just like a . . . well, a yarn harlot.