Our Friend, James, Graduates

Ethan spent two very happy days at his new job in Glenwood Springs. He loves the crew and they love him. They even went to dinner together (that's a lot of guys) and had a rousing toast to "Finding Ethan." He came home for about a day and a half to tie up unfinished business, pack up some stuff and see his friend graduate. Then he jetted back up the mountain this evening. This is an intense kind of work. They expect to work 12-15 hour days, seven days a week for the next three or so months. If it continues to be a good fit then he will move with the crew to another location (likely Colorado Springs, 1.5 hours away). He offers comfort to me and reminds me that his is only going to be about 2.5-3 hours away; we could go see him. But I am not sure that his work schedule will allow for much of that. I think once I get over having him gone, I will feel better about the whole thing.

I have very conflicted feelings about this. I am proud of him for being so hard working and thrilled that he is getting an awesome opportunity to work with people he enjoys and a chance to learn an entirely new set of skills. I know that he will be more than fine. The other part of me is sad, mostly sad for the rest of us. He has been a constant in my life for nineteen years. I will miss the chance to see him on most days, to talk with him and to marvel at all that he knows. That boy is always surprising me with what he has recently learned. I know that they are supposed to grow up and move out - of course. I know that he will love us like he always have. I will feel his absence and experience a void in the places that he has filled up until now. I see it as a testiment to who he is in our lives. He is also his father's right hand man. There will be a letting go process there, too, one that is less weepy.

On another note, our good friend, James, graduated from our school on Wednesday night. It has been a joy to witness the remarkable young man he has become. He is the very example of what it means to grow into yourself. In recent years he has joined Larr and Ethan on some pretty great adventures. One notable one was the primitive camping trip I recently wrote about. In searching for the right present for him, it occurred to me that no one in his family knits for him and that he always comments on the hats I make for my family. After conferring with him I decided that James needed a hat, a hand knit, made just for you specifically hat. I used the wool that I had from making hats for Larr and Ethan to create a hat for James. The funny thing is that I like the hat that I made for him best of all.

Larr chaired his thesis panel and presented a speech, as well as several gifts. Even after so many years, I love to watch Larr give speeches.

We wish James the best of luck and a bright, interesting future.

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A little about the hat:

I used Malabrigo yarns - Rios Playa and Rios Piedras
Both yarns are merino superwash.

I cast on 96 stitches onto US 4 16" circular needles.
I knit a ribbed cuff (k2,P2, repeat) until it measured about 1.5".
Then I knit in the round until it was time to do the decreases.
To decrease I placed markers every 10 stitches and k2tg at each marker until there were only 8 stitches left.
I finished it off and woven in the ends.