The first time we talked was on a school bus. We had first seen each other earlier in the day in U.S. History class. My first day at my new high school after moving to Maryland – the school counselor escorted me to class, and the teacher told me to sit in the front row, where no one else was sitting. I could feel the eyes of my new classmates on my back.

My sister and I were the new girls at a big school. We quickly found out that classes would be harder and more competitive than the small school we went to in New Mexico. We hashed over all of this on our ride home. My parents had just purchased our house, and we were going to meet them at the new house after our first day. The counselor told us which bus to ride to get home.

Mimi and I stepped onto the bus and found a seat near the front together. We weren't sure where to get off, so when I recognized one of the riders as the cute boy from my History class earlier, I decided to ask him. Guess who the cute boy was?

Cute boy Kris

The thing is, Mimi and I got on the wrong bus altogether. Kris did his best to help us get to neighborhood that we lived in – he knew it well since he often played street hockey at the park near it – and we got off the bus at the next stop, deciding to brave our way through the new suburbs on foot. We didn't have cell phones at the time, and didn't have much sense of direction either. Luckily, we happened upon our new street pretty easily after a 30-minute walk through random neighborhoods.

I saw a lot more of "that cute boy" in the weeks that followed. As the term went on, one of Kris's friends asked me if I would like to join their study group for the advanced placement exam. I needed the help, as the move across the country had unsettled my progress in the class, so I took him up on it. The study group included five guys – of them was Kris – and me.

Weeks of studying, and we all passed the exams successfully. All six of us in the study group decided to celebrate our success by a night at the movies. Kris and I sat next to each other, and we nuzzled up to each other all evening at the theater. We officially started dating in May, right after the movies. We had a great summer ahead, as well as our senior year of high school.

Kris and Lolly – 1998

My family loved him, and I quickly fell in love with him too. We were a great match from the beginning. We did the homecoming dance, the prom, the dinner with the parents, the late night phone calls, and holidays-together thing. My family teases me now that we were completely "joined at the hip" at the time. There's no denying it!

Senior Prom

We got engaged in August 1999. We went to college together, and fell even more in love. We began to plan our lives together. Kris finished college in record time, got a great job, and then the big day arrived: January 5, 2002.

Kris and I celebrated our five-year anniversary yesterday. We scheduled dinner at a nice restaurant in town, dressed up for the occasion, and enjoyed a beautiful evening together. We talked about our future and about our past.

We usually do not do an exchange of gifts for anniversary; right after the holidays and Kris's birthday we tend to have a low-key anniversary, usually dinner out and a nice bottle of wine. Kris decided to step it up this year with some other gifts, and I was completely surprised.

The traditional gift for the 5th wedding anniversary is wood, and Kris got creative in his gift-giving (with excellent tips from Jenna - thanks girlfriend!) He bought some beautiful rosewood needles for me! (Size 4.00mm/US6 circulars and 2.25mm/US 1 double pointed needles) I love his special crafty "take" on the traditional gift!

The modern 5th anniversary gift is "silverware", and we have plenty of that, so Kris got creative again and found some adorable sterling silver earrings – they are shaped like little balls of yarn!

And see what I gave him? (Okay, yeah, I just so happened to finish the sweater on our anniversary… but it counts, right?)

Pattern: Men's Bulky V-Neck Sweater
Pattern Source: Knitting to Go Deck: 25 Chic and Easy Patterns
Yarn: Reynolds Lopi Icelandic Wool in Charcoal
Yarn Source: Inherited from a coworker
Needles: Size US 11 and US 10
Started: December 15th / Finished: January 5th

*More pictures and details on Flickr*

The non-traditional anniversary gift?

Definitely wool.

 Today was a landmark day – I actually ventured out of the house! I met up with my good friend Becca for brunch. It was the change of pace that I needed the most. Since we last spoke, I developed even more swelling, and a yellow bruise on my right cheek from the surgery. That was enough to keep me indoors, even though the pain was almost completely gone. More knitting, more reading, more television watching. These last days of 2006 will be hard to differentiate, as I have done the same thing every day since Wednesday: wake up late, read for a few hours, take the dogs on a walk, eat yogurt and applesauce, and then plop down to watch TV and knit the night away.

Of course, this daily regimen may not be the best for exercise, but I did make some real progress on Kris's Lopi sweater!

This was right before I started the sleeves, which are both done now!

I am working on the front, and am nearing the armhole decreases. The magic of size 11 needles! The Lopi is working up nicely, and it is not as scratchy as I remember from the last time I worked with it. The charcoal gray is a perfect color to match Kris's wardrobe. He has even mentioned wearing it several times, which is a total surprise. I plan to finish the knitting up soon, and give the pieces a bath to soften them up even more, and a good blocking. If I am lucky, I can finish this sweater for our anniversary next Friday…

In terms of planning, I have looked through my knitting library and have been evaluating what knits I want to make next. I am going back and forth trying to decide if I want to churn out some more sweaters. It is always a push-pull, as I think about how I want to lose more weight; this will undoubtedly change my measurements for proper-fitting garments. Of course, I could stick to accessories and socks for awhile, as those are knits that will always fit. I am leaning towards more accessories, although the pull of the sweaters are strong – I have a lot of yarn stashed for some lovely projects! The way I may solve this (small) dilemma is by knitting sweaters for Kris, and knitting shawls, hats, and accessories for me. Sounds reasonable, right?

Spectacled made a handsome version of Jamesey. I remember liking this pattern when it came out, so it was great to see it again. I showed it to Kris, he nodded approval. He always says "as long as I can wear it to work", or "as long as it's not too hot"… This sweater is very work-appropriate, and is also made with cotton, so check and check! I found a great yarn: a nice sagey-green mercerized cotton from Elann. Should be a perfect match.

These sweaters, along with the Plain Winter socks I am knitting up are all perfect contributions to Jeanne and Robin's Manly Gift Knitalong. Knitting for a man/boy in your life? Check it out

And just as a reminder: There is still time to purchase Shobhana's Bejeweled scarf pattern for F.I.R.E. Any scarf patterns proceeds purchased through today go to help the Dulaan Project items get to the children of Mongolia. Go and buy your pattern, and then come and join our little knitalong! The Bejeweled Knitalong starts tomorrow!

Here's a peek at what yarn I will be using…

*Happy New Year* 

You know it is going to be a good day when you open up your office's email inbox to see this:

Jean is about to give me a huge bag of Lopi yarn. Would you have any interest in some or all of it?

My friend Avice sent this email at 9:00 am yesterday morning, and by 3:00 o'clock pm, I was hauling out a shopping bag FULL of Lopi yarn from her office!  I looked like a yarn-y version of St. Nicholas with a big bag slung over my shoulder.  Avice insisted that I take all of it, as she claims that she simply has too much yarn, and would not have room for more (ahem… like I don't already have too much?!) Of course, after the exchange, she showed me her lovely new acquisitions from Blue Moon Fiber Arts :)  However, I was thrilled to take it, especially since I have so many patterns that call for the Icelandic wool in mind!

You may recall: I got two Lopi books for my birthday last month (and I marked several patterns that I liked) so perhaps this whole interlude was fated from the beginning??

When I got home, I surveryed and took inventory. The yarn was moth-free, smelled normal (sheepy), and looked great. Just to be safe, I put some of the yarn balls in the freezer for a few hours. That gave me time to look at yarn requirements for patterns, and to ask Kris about some of his preferences…

I had visions of lovely colorwork with this wonderful natural palette.  Kris had a more simplistic model in mind… and that is okay.  I want him to wear it, so why not knit what he wants?  Plus, this is such a versatile pattern – perfect for everyday winter wear.

Yep, I already swatched and started the thing!

It is the Bulky V-Neck Pullover from the Knitting to Go Deck, the collection of pattern cards by Kris Percival. I love this deck, and recommend it for any level of knitter.  The patterns are classic and simple; they really provide a great base to play around with stitch patterns, colorwork, and cables. I made my Pomegranate Pullover from one of the patterns from this deck, and I am also planning to get back to the Lace Wrap that I started ages ago… needless to say, it is the perfect "guy sweater". It got the Kris seal of approval, and while watching The Office last night, I made 4 inches of progress! (I should have been working on the last of the Christmas knitting, alas…)

I am thinking about colorwork, and possibly dyeing some of the raw wools for a palette closer to my preferences.  I also have just enough to make the cute Vor Vest, from Lopi 25 for me! 

So many possibilities with all of these wonderful skeins!  Often Lopi gets a "bad rap" for its coarse texture and its raw-ness.  The yarns that I received are softer than many of the Lopi yarns I have felt, and I am convinced that a nice bath with some some wool wash will soften it up even more.  Kris will undoubtedly wear the pullover with undershirts, so direct contact with the skin is not likely.

Do you have experience softening up coarse wools?  Any tips?

Dreaming of all of the possibilities!