FoUnd iN tRanSLatiOn

 Knitting is like reading code. There are thousands upon thousands of abbreviations that become a cellular part of your psyche. You find that as time goes on, it takes hardly any processing at all. You just look, see K2tog tbl, and you know just what has to be done. You also speak in a code that is not apart of the non knitters frame of reference.  Soon, it dawns on you that they have no idea what the hell you are talking about. This became apparent to me when I happened to mention to someone that I recently finished an afghan for my nephew, which elicited this quick and thoughtful response, "What's an afghan?"

I had to stop and ask myself "Just what the hell is an afghan"?.

When I googled "Afghan" this came up:

Afghan may refer to:

* Someone or something related to Afghanistan
* Pashtun people, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and second largest ethnic group in Pakistan; see also Afghan (name)

o Pashto language (Afghan language), the native language of the Pashtuns

Further down the Wikipedia list, there was mention that "Afgahn" may refer to a knitted or crochet blanket, or throw. I even learned that the Afghan, used to describe a throw, or a throw-blanket did indeed originate from Afghanistan.  The original Afghan served the same function, was made from disposible materials and meant to be discarded, or thrown away after use.  But from now on, I think I will just tell my non-knitting, non-crocheting friends that I made a blanket. 

Last summer I made myself a shrug, from an original pattern called the Lizzie from Stitch Therapy where I teach and select yarns for hoarding. Again, my friends not familiar with the terminology used by craft fiends such as myself, needed further clarification. "What's a shrug?" I was asked.  Once again, I had to ponder "Just what the hell is a shrug?" So I once again went to my computer, and got this definition for "shrug".

: to raise or draw in the shoulders especially to express aloofness, indifference, or uncertainty

I knew that. But now a days the first thing that comes to my mind, isn't the first thing that comes to the mind of the lay person. So from now on, I think I will say I made myself a little bolero. How many people, I wonder, have I told I made an Afghan, walked away wondering "How the hell did she do that? I didn't know you could knit that." I imagine that for as many people that will ask "What's that?", there are many, many more who won't. And when I told friends, that I was busy working on a shrug, they must have walked away, shaking their head in confusion and well . . .

 just shrugged.