It’s dark and rainy, and that kind of damp-cold that makes my joints ache and complain. I’ve been out to do the errandy things, and the never-ending laundry is my only chore. I have DVD’s to watch, maybe I’ll even take a nap, and this warm red-orange Dulaan hat is on the needles. I’m using a pattern called “Kim’s Hats” from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. It’s a basic formula, with variations for size and brim style. When I make things like this I realize that I could have written this pattern myself, because it’s nothing really new. I’m just as happy that someone else wrote it out, though, because I don’t have to do any thinking. All I have to do is knit, and this knitting is fun and satisfying. I love the color combination of the burnt orange (Patons Classic wool) and the tweedy red (Dale Sisik wool/mohair). It puts me in the mood for…Rhinebeck!

Thank you for all your comments. You’ve helped me gain a lot of perspective on this little “crisis.” I am so glad to have all five or seven or however many of you visit me here, and I like feeling that I am among friends. I’ve been painting myself into corners lately, and fussing and fretting a lot — an old pattern for me. It’s always a sign that I need to stop and pay attention to something that I might be avoiding or resisting, or just plain ignoring. Oh, shoot, I just can’t get away from myself, can I? At least I have a hat to knit, and I can’t run too far away if I’m attached to a ball of yarn.

We do live in two separate worlds here on the Internet, don’t we? The line between public and private is blurry, but not invisible. It’s really not unlike my daily “real” life. At the bookstore I see friendly customers every day, and we chat about books and the weather and the goings-on in the village. If I see these same people in the grocery store, or at the movies, I tend to want to avoid them. It’s not because I’m a grump, but because I’m on Jane Time, not Bookstore Time. I smile and nod or wave, or say hello, and that’s it. There are a few customers who I’ve come to think of as friends, but they number about four out of hundreds, so I think my life is still my own, for the most part. We all juggle our public and private lives, and what really astounds and confounds me is that not only do we do it locally and face to face, we do it globally and virtually as well.

I think I’ll keep my virtual world the way it is for now. If someone I know asks to read the blog, then I’ll see how I feel about it.

And speaking of Rhinebeck…It’s how I am going to make it through the week. By this time next Sunday we’ll be getting in the car to come home, laden with Socks That Rock (and green for Amie?) and fiberfiberfiber, with happy tired feet, and with pictures and memories and who-knows-what-all. When I informed the Delightful R’s that we will be leaving really early Saturday morning I got the usual moans and groans. “You mean six o’clock in the morning?” Then they remembered: We’re going on a Road Trip! To see Llamas and Alpacas! And get Yarn and Sheepy Stuff! And have a Slumber Party! Okay then, six it is!