Dear Neon Beast,

Where do I begin?
I remember the minute I saw you after Veera Valimaki posted the pattern.
I was in love.
How could I not be?
Stripes, clever short row shaping, big bold blocks of color.
Not to mention neon. 

I knew immediately that I had to make you.
I had to make you asap.
I knew what yarn I needed.
Nothing would do but to make you in the Purl Soho Line Weight Merino in Super Pink, Yellow Yellow and Oyster.

Mom traveled to New York.
I begged (not very hard) her to go and buy the yarn for me at the Purl Soho shop.
A week later it arrived.
I didn't start you right away.
I couldn't you see, I had a few other things on the needles, a two week vacation to Hawaii on the horizon that needed packing, and two dogs that needed to get booked into a kennel.

When we got home though, I wound up all three beautiful skeins, packed you in my weekend bag and off we went for a weekend in Leavenworth where I finally cast you on.

We worked well together thru the fall.

We went to Langley together to the knitting retreat.

Lots of people touched you.
Said how beautiful you were.
You are beautiful. You are soft. You have just a hint of a halo.

You are perfection.

I can't really explain what happened after that.
The holiday's most likely.
You got set aside, zipped up in your own little bag and tucked away.
I could see you, over there in the project bowl.
Patiently waiting for me to come back to you, maybe sending out little vibes of guilt.
'Why would you set me aside? We're so close to being done'

Then the MochiMochi Snowman Garland happened.
More projects happened.
Yet there you sat. Patiently.
Getting shoved aside as I looked for something I needed for another project.

You suffered the injustice of having to giving up your needles so I could use them on another project.
Which is beautiful as well.
The two of you will look wonderful this fall, winter, next spring.

I finished the project that I stole your needles for and have been restless for another project.
I've cast one a dozen things,
Picked up a dozen things that are in the works. and knit a bit on them.
Nothing.
I just felt nothing.

Then yesterday I saw you from across the room, waiting for me, in the project bowl.
I reclaimed your needles from the finished project.
Screwed them back on.
Told the dogs their dinner would have to wait. 
Figured out where we had left off and went to work.

grumpy dog obviously starving to death

Joy.
Nothing but joy and happiness and the desire to knit on you thru the night.
Just the two of us.
Happily moving along towards the finish line.

You were so good.
So patient.

I'm sorry I abandoned you for so long.

Sincerely,
Carmel