Yesterday I had a really important mission: find a blanket. My aunt is coming to visit us for the holidays, and while we have a comforter, we feel a second blanket for a little extra warmth is a good thing to have. I can’t count on her having arctic/alpine animal blood in her veins – this comes from my mom’s side of the family and she’s my fathers’ sister.
For reasons of limited time, I hit up the department store in town and quickly began to dispair. They have lots of lovely comforters, be we already had that covered. For blankets and throws though, everywhere I looked it was polar fleece. I loathe and despise polar fleece. I could give you all sorts of reasons about nartural fibers being better than synthetic, or more eco friendly, etc… but really. I. Just. Hate. It.
I don’t like the way it collects static, and I find it hot and sweaty. But mostly, I simply can’t stand how it feels under my hands, like fuzzy plastic bags. I know others love it, as evidenced in part by every single blanket, from the 20euro to the 50euro, being various levels and qualities of polar fleece. And I started to brace myself to find one that was sufficiently aesthetically pleasing that I could bring myself to carry it to the counter. “I don’t need to like it” I told myself “my aunt will be the one using it,” and “I’m sure I can keep TheEnabler from putting it on the bed later.” He doesn’t share my loathing, so in case you like polar fleece and were worried what I’d think of you, it’s fine. I know my hatred is unreasonable and it doesn’t color my thoughts or feelings towards who do like it.
Anyway, I’m standing there thinking I might need to go pet the yarns in the yarn department (yes, there is a real yarn and crafts department in this department store) before I can tackle this challenge, when I spot it. One tiny little stack of blankets hidden in a corner and marked as “on sale”. Sure, the blanket is all black (my aunt is going to tease me for this, I know it) but it’s wool and cashmere and cuddly. That’s what came home:
I still ended up in the yarn section. To be fair, I was looking to see if they, by some miracle, carried silk thread, unlike every yarn and fabric store I’d tried so far. They do, so now I’ll go back with the fibers I need to match. Seriously, I’ve been looking all over town, and the freaking department store has it.
Entirely by accident, some sturdy worsted weight cotton landed in my bag. All those pretty woolies I picked up on Tuesday, and what did I start working on yesterday?
Cotton potholders. Very rational.