Knitting Associations

I have a question for you. Do your knitting projects take on deep emotional associations? I think that most of us have projects with differing degrees of difficulty, like plain vanilla socks or simple scarves or hats, for times where we can't invest a lot of attention and counting, to more complicated projects, like lace shawls, for when we can focus a bit more.

That's part of what is behind my question, but there is more to it. In the past, I've had several projects that seem to have soaked up the feelings of the situation going on while I was working on them. Sitting by my mother's bedside during her last few months, I was working on an afghan. I never did finish it because every time I got it out afterwards, the project itself vividly reminded me of that awful time. Eventually I had to rip it out and donate the yarn.

Another example is Campari. I love the project, but rarely wear it because all I can think about is the hours sitting in the hospital during the surgery that marked the beginning of my father's decline, and the careless woman that spilled coffee on it in the waiting room.

My yarn doesn't absorb only negative emotions; I do have some overwhelmingly positive projects. Ryan picked out the yarn for the aptly named Happy Times with Ryan during one of our first visits to The Loopy Ewe. Long Road Alone reminds me of Justin's travels and how happy I was that he had safely driven 4500 miles and was not mauled by a grizzly while alone in the wilds of Montana.

So, back to my question. Last week I had four medical appointments, this week there are three. These always mean waiting time, which also means knitting time. I'm almost done with Fine Line, and am also working on some Dr. Who fingerless mitts for Ryan and a hat for Justin. I want these to be imbued with good feelings and love, so I've found that I just can't stand to work on them in waiting rooms surrounded by reminders of grave illness and loss.

I also can't bear to sit in waiting rooms without knitting, so dishcloths have become my projects for hospitals and doctors' offices. Today a nurse told me I might be crazy (in a joking way, of course!), for attaching so much emotion to mere knitting, but I discounted it because she admitted that she wasn't a knitter. Since then, I've been wondering if there are other knitters who feel the same way I do. I'd love to hear your thoughts, stories, and opinions about emotional attachments to your projects (even if your thoughts are the same as the nurse's). Thanks for reading my ramblings and helping to satisfy my curiosity!