So this is what Hades feels like....

I am a northern girl. I do not mix well with heat. It's something like 35C/105F, so it's several degrees hotter in my apartment. There's no way I'm knitting in this sweat box. Not even a sock. Not if you paid me.


Day 5: How long did it take from the time your learned how to knit, to finish your first project?


Technically my first project is still on the needles, and has been for four years. The first project I finished was a pair of socks. I started those.... when... 2011? or winter 2010? You see how important they were to me. Probably sometime in 2011, which means that when I learned to knit back in 2008, and cast on for the Demon Sweater, I didn't make a finished object until 3 years later. Granted there was some major life changes in there so I didn't actually knit for a good long while, but yeah, about 3 years.


To come back to the heat thing, I have something I want to share quickly. I missed the one bus to get home from work and so, knowing how foxtrotting hot it is outside, took a quick detour to a bargain store to grab something quick for dinner, and a bottle of water. As I passed the front of the building, one of the local homeless guys that tends to hang around there asked me for some change. Now I'd seen him down there before, known drunk, and certainly smelled of it as I walked past. So I had a thought: I'd do a decent thing and instead of giving him money for alcohol, I'd get the guy a bottle of water. That way at least I wouldn't have to worry about him passing out from dehydration or heat stroke. I'll spend a buck to help a life, and a buck got the guy a litre of cold water. I handed it off without much fanfare (but did get many heartfelt thank yous), and then went to the bus stop. As I stood there, melting, slowly dying and wondering if I would make it home, I suddenly had a realization: I just did something I'd seen my Mom do many times before in various cities. Kinda made me smile. There you go Mom. For all our differences, you raised a decent human being, one capable of giving freely to others to make a life a little bit better.


Of course my ability to selflessly think of others has gotten me into trouble, when I don't selflessly think of the right person first, but that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish.


I'm going to blow up some tanks now.