A Story for Dani ...
Once upon a time, she fretted over a project for weeks and weeks, but was unhappy with how it was coming along. As this was mindful knitting, this would not do. Not at all. Being a fairytale fond of tradition, this one has a frog (that's what all the trendy knitbloggers call it when you rip out your knitting ... rip it out ... ribbit ... ribbit ... yah, whatever ... there
had to be a frog). She frogged the whole thing and started over.
But all those bumps had to go, 'cuz she couldn't knit from a pile of kinky yarn like that. Being also a modern fairytale and nothing at all like Rapunzel, there is a trusty spare office chair, about whose sturdy armrests she carefully wound the frogged yarn. Miz Bequita Banana and Sister Cleopatra Longtail, the cats of great determination, helped immeasurably.
At this point, the fairytale takes a Grecian turn when Three Heroes Henry (hanks, for short) conquer the computer minotaurs under the watchful eye of Earl, February's naked calendar guy.
After which, the Three Heroes Henry (hanks for short) and their friend, D'Artagnan, had a long soak in a cool tub and hung out (as friends are wont to do).
In the tradition of the brothers Gimm, all is not sunshine and light and conquering heroes in this tale. Nay, there is torture! One by one, our heroes are stretched out on the swift and wound up on the ball winder. Cover your eyes, gentle reader, lest you faint dead away at the sight. Even Tiger Kitten Cat, fierce and bold, king of all he surveys, left the chamber before it was done ... surely fleeing the horror, not taking the opportunity to filch the baked tofu from her salad while she was otherwise occupied.
As soon as the hanks were gone, they were forgotten, as she had four just-like-new- balls of soft mohair to knit, with no pricking of fingers and no dwarves named Rumpelstilzchen or anything else. And knit she did.
When she had knit it, she got a little carried away.
She blocked it and cut the ribbons and threaded the first before she realized she'd forgotten to take pictures betwixt, so she winged it.
And then it was done. When the sun shone upon the kingdom once again, she took it out into the light, the better to be seen and photographed, its ribbons blowing in the breeze. But wait!
What's that? 'Tis prayer shawl made solely of yarn and silken ribbons. Why, then, does the eye catch a glimmer, a sparkle, a glister?
Who is that, sitting so still?
It's Sir Bunrab! For it is in his garden that all this takes place.
She folded and boxed and taped and addressed and sent the shawl off to her accomplice in another land. Her friend and accomplice saw to its conferral. It now adorns the shoulders for which it was meant.
And they all lived happily ever after.
