A little yarn

One year for Deb's birthday I was at a loss for what to get her, so I went to the fallback position: jewelry. I went to Kay's and got her a little gold locket. I thought I had done pretty good for myself, but I thought an extra gift couldn't hurt, so I went to a Waldenbooks in the same mall.

Because I'd spent so much on the locket, I didn't have a lot left, but on the discount shelf I found a $5 book called, "The Cool Girl's Guide to Knitting." I felt bad I couldn't afford a more expensive book, but I knew she'd like it because she'd taken up knitting.

Turns out I could've saved the money on the locket. She loved the book and never wore the locket.

Deb was a knitter, and I never really understood what that meant. She'd go out and buy yarn without a project in mind, telling me, "I'll figure out something to do with it."

Once I asked why she started so many projects and never seemed to finish any. She just said she needed to have something to do, and finishing was less important than being able to knit. Being a goal-oriented person I never really understood that.

But even though I didn't understand it, I am proud of one knitting-related thing I was able to do for her.

When she got serious about knitting, she discovered Knit n' Knibble, a Tampa knitting store and cafe. She used to go there, buy more yarn than they'd ever need, snack on baked goods and hang out with other knitters who came in to buy more yarn than they'd ever need, snack on baked goods and hang out.

It's what we guys would call "No Man's Land."

At work we have what we call The Freebie Table, where review copies of books are set out for whoever wants them. I'd grab all the knitting books that were put out and take them home to Deb, and one day one of the "Stitch N' Bitch" books was set out. It became one of her favorites, and she went out and bought the others.

After she got sick, she couldn't go to Knit n' Knibble anymore, but she'd look at the store's website now and then. That's how she found out Debbie Stoler, the author of the "Stitch n' Bitch" books, was going to be signing books at the store.

I could tell she wanted to go, but she didn't have the strength. So on the day Stoler was going to be in town, I snuck one of her books out of the house and headed for Knit n' Knibble before I went to work.

The line was longer than I expected, but I was committed. I called into work and told them I'd be late.

I got to the front, and I explained to Stoler why I was there instead of Deb, and I asked her if she'd mind if I got Deb on the cellphone. I didn't want to hold up the line, so after I got the book signed, I got Deb on the phone, and after waiting for a break between signings, Stoler got on the phone and said,"Hi, this is Debbie Stoler, how are you?"

I could hear Deb squeal over the phone.

"I just wanted to tell you you got a nice husband here," Stoler said.

"Hey, he's taken!" Deb squealed back.

When I got home that night, it was to a happy wife. "I can't believe you did that for me!"

I still remember that smile. And I still have the book.