Monica Knits

Now that the Single Digit Hat is in use, having physically replaced a toque knitted by my huband's mother over 30 years ago, it is time to tackle another project. Not that the hat could be replaced in spirit. The old hat is still around, but not to be worn outside the yard.

This sturdy, wool vest has similarly had a long life but with two caretakers, which makes it particularly special. Originally knitted for my father-in-law, a mechanic and millwright, this tightly knitted vest, kept out the cold in the damp Pacific Northwest weather. The vest got a second life, keeping my boyfriend (future husband) warm on his morning paper route.

The first time I saw my boyfriend wearing it, he was doing a valve job on his first car; he wore coveralls and the vest. In the Pacific Northwest, the winter temperatures are mild, but the dampness has a way of chilling you to the bone, unlike other places I have lived. During my first winter in the Pacific Northwest I could not get warm, so I appreciate how irreplaceable this warm vest has been.

The vest is now approaching the half century mark and has seen all kinds of cold weather service--from vehicle repairs, to fixing flat tires to repairing a furnace that broke in the middle of a very cold winter night in Michigan; I held the flashlight, passed tools and wore my parka. I don't know about you, but more things seem to break in the winter; my car's tires always seem to go flat on one of the coldest days of the year!

Now it is time to knit a replacement. The zipper no longer works, and the vest has a few tears. If I can salvage some of the yarn, I will reuse it to keep the tradition alive.