Fragments of Kodachrome: "The Greens of Summer"

Making his debut soon will be Morph the Cat (a la Donald Fagen), which is, of course, Jess Hutch's adorable pattern for Kate the Cat with Britches from last season's Knitty.




The "Morph-the-Cat" inspiration/influence is a tribute to my partner's undying love for all things Donald Fagen/Steely Dan. I must admit, however, that I'm really quite smitten too now, especially of the Donald's grumpy ways...

So sings Joni Mitchell in her bittersweet melodly, "All I Want," on her spectacular 1971 album, Blue,an album she says she made when she was "emotionally transparent." Like the album, "All I Want" spills out the highs and lows, the-out-of-control and out-of-this-world experiences of being in love, of living in love, and of losing love. It's a song which understandably (for us knitters, anyways) comes climaxing (?!) to her outright declaration at the close: "I want to knit you a sweater." A dangerous declaration, to be sure. (If you're not sure why it's dangerous to declare, just search about on the knit-blogland for the "boyfriend sweater curse." To help you get started, you could check the archives at MindofWinter...)

Indeed, the first track on the album, "All I Want," has been spinning in my mind all afternoon as I write and try to see the day through. To quote Steve Stolder's review, the entire album, Blue, is nothing less than "astonishingly open and gracious" as it covers the cycles and rhythms of our relationships. Dear Joni, "emotionally transparent," gets straight to the complicated, messed-up and joyful emotions which occur when we choose to share our lives with others: think of the line in "Carey": "Oh you're a mean old daddy but I like you, I like you." Think of the heartbreaking line in "A Case of You": "You're my holy wine--so bitter and so sweet." Or, to go back again to "All I Want": "I hate you some, I love you some."

Heck, why don't I just give you (most) of "All I Want" right here given that I don't have my photos handy to give you "real" knitting content [which will come *very soon* as I make good progress on "Orangina," on Nancy Bush's "Friday Harbor Socks," and on Knitty's "Kate." Indeed, I promise that this blog will soon come alive with knitting content, knitting photos, knitting links, and as a result, there will be less of the 'personal' here for you all. But until then...)

But until then, I get to be a DJ tonight, and as that DJ, I'd say in a smooth, sexy voice as the record begins to spin, "Tonight, this one's going out from Louisa to Guido..."


"I am on a lonely road and I am traveling.
[....]

I want to be strong I want to laugh along
I want to belong to the living
Alive, alive, I want to get up and jive
I want to wreck my stockings in some juke box dive
Do you want - do you want - do you want
To dance with me baby
Do you want to take a chance
On maybe finding some sweet romance with me baby
Well, come on

All I really really want our love to do
Is to bring out the best in me and in you too
All I really really want our love to do
Is to bring out the best in me and in you
I want to talk to you, I want to shampoo you
I want to renew you again and again
Applause, applause - life is our cause
[....]

I want to have fun, I want to shine like the sun
I want to be the one that you want to see
I want to knit you a sweater
Want to write you a love letter
I want to make you feel better
I want to make you feel free
Hmm, Hmm, Hmm, Hmm,
[....]"


Ah Joni, be our guide as we skip, dance, stumble, fall, rise up, and get through it all with love, joy, and hope in our hearts...Hmmm, hmmm.... And heck, I'd make Guido a sweater anyday-- Now back to that writing.

"Estrella" by Joni Mitchell (jonimitchell.com)