Homage (noun) (def) an expression of high regard

It is cold in our little neck of the woods. I won't tell you how cold because I don't want to scare you. Suffice it say that it is best to stay indoors which is what I did this weekend. I put my little knitter down for a nap each afternoon, covered myself up with an afghan crocheted by my Baba and watched Elizabeth Zimmerman unravel the mysteries of the knitted universe while I did a little knitting of my own.

Homage #1: That Elizabeth knew a thing or two about knitting and it is no wonder that most knitwear designers cite her as an inspiration. She made two color knitting look possible. She cut (gasp) her knitted projects and it wasn't terrifying. She even took scissors to the garter stitch vest she was wearing in order to demonstrate her afterthought pockets. Have you ever cut your knitted work much less something that was hanging off of you at the time? Unreal. No wonder everyone wants to knit what she did. She just makes it seem so simple and straight forward. I find myself wanting to knit her Seamless Yoke Sweater. She's very convincing.

Homage #2: So while I watched Elizabeth teach me to cast on, knit, purl, increase, and decrease, I picked up my Montego Bay scarf. Now, I love this yarn. I love it like I've never loved yarn before. It glows in sunlight. It is smooth and lustrous. It smells faintly of the sea and whispers of sandy beaches and far away summer. The colors are vibrant and remind me of the city after which it is named. Sigh. If I could only knit with Seasilk in Paris, I would be happy. The Tuscany shawl that started my affair with lace is a favorite and I like to fondle it in my closet when no one else is around.

That is how I feel about this yarn. And I'm going to give it away. I'm going to give this glimmering scarf to my mentor, the person who first handed me a pair of metal needles and some crafter's cotton and taught me how to knit. My sister in law, who is one of the craftiest gals I know, is the only person I can think of who will love this yarn as much as I do. AND it will look terrific on her to boot.

This is my Sister, not my Sister In Law.

This is not my Sister In Law, either.

Homage #3: Now that I've completed 4 of my estimated 7 remaining Christmas projects, I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. That light is my birthday and I always knit myself socks for my birthday. To ease the loss of the Paris Seasilk, I'll be knitting myself some socks in Paris Casbah. I think you'll agree that nothing says homage like cashmere. Now, please help me decide what socks to knit with this precious yarn. Do you think Thelonius is the right pattern? How about these or those? What should I knit as an homage to me?