Purple Thang

I've realized that I mentioned I knit and spin but have never posted a story about anything that I have knit! Well, here's one for you.
I love Purple Thang. It lives in my car year round. I have used it as a changing pad for The Boss, a blanket, lap warmer and carrier of stuff. It has also saved my from a possible head injury. If I had to keep only 1 of my shawls this would probably be the one.
I had purchased Folk Shawls when it was published. I love shawls and had made a list of the ones I wanted to knit from this book. Originally Purple Thang didn’t even make it but after finishing the Irish shawl, the Box Lace shawl and the Dimovia stole I was burned out with lace.
It was around the end of October and I was still driving full time and I need something pretty mindless that I could work on here and there. It so happened that I had a trip that would put me close to one of my LYS. I parked the bus and walked into the store and announced I needed help. At that time, I was in a color rut. I had come to the realization that I only went for blue. Blue work pants, blue jeans, blue yarn. I was happiest when someone else plunked down the yarn needed in a color I would have never even looked at.
Such was the case here. Brown Sheep Lambs Pride Worsted in Amethyst! And of course being at work I needed needles as well. I cast on immediately and knit happily until the shop closed. Over the course of the next month or so this was the project I took with to me.
My regulars got used to seeing this on my lap. And eventually I didn’t even need to remove it from my lap to drive. It kept my legs warm because there are openings under the dash that the cold air can get through. And my feet and lower legs would be frozen in less than an hour of driving.
I did make a modification to the pattern. I didn’t like the look of the ‘holes’ going all the way through the top border. When I reached the maximum stitch count for the top, I worked a K2t, YO row and then finished the top border.
I think it only took me 2 months to finish. I only LIKED it at the time. It was pretty and I did like the color. But garter is kinda plain and ordinary. And it was big! But it did grow on me over the course of the next year.
In March, I got a group together and we went to Patternworks in Poughkeepsie NY. I didn’t drive. DH did and being an observant person I knew that he would keep the bus pretty cool. Men like cold and the front of a bus is always warmer than the back. Hence, the driver usually keeps the bus cooler than is comfortable for most of the passengers. So I gathered up a few shawls in case they were needed.
We hit rain and yes, it got cool inside. Blissa fell asleep stretched out over 2 seats. She was wearing a tank top and nylon pants and when I looked at her I was cold! So I took Purple Thang and gently laid it over her. She told me later that she dreamed the sun came out!
Later that year, I had The Boss with me and she need a diaper change. I forget where we were but I do remember there was not place to lay her down to do this. Voila! Purple Thang to the rescue! Nice and big and cushy.
That winter was awful! Snow and ice and yuck! I’d throw Purple Thang over my coat as an added layer. It made a great wind blocker and head covering. One day I had shoveled the front walk and as I was walking up the street to my drive I slipped on some ice. Both feet came off the ground and I did a full body slam onto my back! As the shock wore off and I had mentally checked that nothing felt broken I was stunned to realize that I was OK. Purple Thang was around my head and shoulders and it cushioned the impact and probably saved me from being knocked out. And run over by the plow that I had heard turning the corner down the street!
I’ve worn it at Younger’s baseball games because we sit in the shade and the wind is cold. I’ve thrown it over my lap in the car in the dead of winter to block the draft coming from the car door. I use it to cover the steering wheel in the summer so my hands don’t get burned from the sun beating down on it all day. As time went on I realized that I LOVE Purple Thang!