He replied, "A curling sweater hand-knit by you."
I'll show him I thought. I'll knit that sweater--with Mom's help.
As Christmas quickly approached, the sweater reached completion. Then we discovered our shortage of yarn.
No problem, I thought. I'll buy more.
I bought more yarn and brought it home.
"Did you match the dye lot?" Mom asked.
"Match the what?"
"The dye lot. It's a number listed on the yarn band. You match the numbers to ensure no unwanted colour stripes. Here bring me the bands and I'll show you the number."
"I don't have them."
"What do you mean? Where are they?"
"I threw them out."
"Oh, Leanne." She said disappointedly, then quickly added. "No trouble. I think these skeins match closely enough."
Sadly, Mom was wrong.
It's a beautifully knit sweater--love in every stitch. My husband still wears it. (Well, actually, I've stolen the sweater. I wear it on cold days when I need a hug from Mom and my husband.) However, he has been given clear instructions. NOT OUTSIDE THE HOUSE.
Lesson learned: match the dye lot number
Twenty years later, a rare photo of my husband and the sweater.
Poor guy, early this morning, I sprung on him saying, "Here, put this on. I want to take a picture." Then I blinded him with the flash. He's definitely on Santa's nice list.
