It all started when I was asked to accompany a friend (Eveline) to visit the weekend’s art work stalls in Queensbays Mall during one of my breaktimes when I was working there. If I could remember and if I’m not mistaken, it was last year September. Eveline was so in love with her boyfriend to have a thought of making something special for him. As we walked, we came to a knitting stall where we stopped and when we created trouble to ourselves. The stall owner, a couple (Kelly, the teacher and her husband) welcomed us with warm smiles and tried to introduce and promote us the beauty of knitting art. They also showed us some samples of Kelly’s work piece (knitted top, baby shoes, and bag) that hung at the small stall. As I flipped through the pages with all the knitting design samples in a magazine that placed nicely on the table, I saw one man sleeveless vest, which had caught my attention. Yes, my muscular man will look nice on this, so I thought. And the next thing I know, I found myself back at the stall with money. I decided to make one for HIM. I admit I am a choosy person, especially to choose something for my loved ones. I had difficulty in choosing the materials and colors, wool or cotton? Grey or light brown? By looking at Malaysia’s weather and to make sure that he would wear it, I went for cotton in material wise. But for color, thanks for Eveline’s fast decision, she chose grey, so I picked the other one, light brown. We were not going to choose the same color as we have chose the same design; it was a No Way, definitely!
The starting part was so tough. I made several mistakes between the lines which I had to re-start the whole line. I started to lose patient, not even a day. Besides, you would never want to see the way I hold the two knitting sticks when I am knitting. The less-than-2gms tool seemed like kilograms when they were at my hands. The weird style I did with the sticks and also the full-of-mistakes 3cm bottom lines told all, I was a really typical beginner at that time. I learned the first pattern, K1P1 (up and down) for the vest bottom. It took me a month to complete the just 5cm K1PI. What could I do? Each time I make mistakes, I could only meet Kelly during weekends. If you don’t know, I’m actually working plus staying in Kulim during weekdays. Next, it came to the most boring part, the same knitting pattern, K1 and P1 alternately in lines (considered, pattern-less for me) for 38cm length, to make the back side piece of the vest. For your information, I need to knit the front side and the back side separately in two pieces and join them into one afterwards. With that 38cm practice, I actually got my knitting skill speed up but got my interests lowered at the same time. Then, it was mid of October, I did not manage to make it on time, HIS birthday was a few days away, ‘luckily he did not know about this, so I will make it as Valentine’s Day present then’. I said to myself. I should not be so ambitious that time to think that I could finish the vest in 2 months, although Kelly claimed that those experienced can. You know what, since then, it was kept in a nice paper bag, placed stagnantly on my room closet… for months.
When I almost forgot about it, Eveline called me up suddenly to ask me about the progress of my knitting. She was at her second piece already. I was so ashamed that time. She told me that the second piece was with some knit pattern, more interesting. This has then become the motivation for me to take out the full-of-spider-web paper bag again, thanks to Esther’s (a close friend of mine and Eveline) negative comments which were actually positive encouragements to me also. I continued to knit upwards to the arm holes, back neck and to finally finish my first piece.I made it (50% only), I was so happy, I bet Esther would not look down at me anymore… but then again, my ECD (Intel acronyms: expected complete date) was being pushed out to June, our anniversary month; Feb was too soon to arrive. I committed to myself to surely get the done in four months time, else, the next special day to give present would be HIS birthday, in October (which was initially my plan, but was in 2007).
The second piece started with the K1PI again, I made no mistakes at all that time and actually got praise from Kelly when I showed her. It was significant difference under comparison with the first piece. After that, a new tool, mini bumpy stick was needed to make the two cables pattern at the front side. Yes, Eveline was right; it was really satisfying and interesting to see the cables structured up 1cm by 1cm as I knitted. Besides, it was nice to touch on the uneven (3D) cables part. Weeks passed, uncountable times I visited Kelly for helps and advices, I made up to the V-neck part finally. This was when the remembrance played in, the knit times changed each row as it went upwards and with cables in at the same time. I accidentally skipped the cables a few times where I have to see Kelly cruelly un-knitted off the whole line, the effort I did, one by one, back to the beginning. I could not help it or ignore it as the mistake would make the vest look weird to have a line in the middle without cables.
So...June came, I had the two piece of my hard work at my hand, thought that was going to be very easy to combine them up, buffered myself for one week to do that. I was wrong, it was so complicated, and the combination at different sides has different ways. Furthermore, I could not approach Kelly as HE came back in the weekend; it was supposed to be a secret. I tried so hard to find time, even I had an hour, I would drive to Bayan Baru, just to put the two pieces together. I worked OT almost every other night, and I managed to finish it on the night before our anniversary day.
Then, I passed to him tomorrow…. the 5th June!
And if you still do not what is 5th June...
Take a look at below
