Purl Up and Die (23 page)

“Oh, yeah, gotta watch stuff now,” Megan nodded.

Kelly gave Megan a big hug. “Ohhhhh, I still can't believe that you're going to be a mom.” She felt her eyes grow moist behind her lashes as she released Megan. “I'm gettin' misty.” Kelly wiped both eyes.

Megan gave her arm a squeeze. “Oh, that is so sweet. You don't get misty that often, Kelly. Now you're gonna make me misty.” Megan swiped at her eyes.

“Stop that, you two.” Jennifer sniffled and waved her hand at them.

“Jen's already started,” Pete said with a grin, taking Jennifer's hand.

“It's the hormones,” Lisa opined sagely.

“
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
” Greg's voice went up two octaves in a theatrical imitation of a famous comedian's hysterical moment. Wrist to forehead, Greg proclaimed in a perfect
La Cage aux Folles
imitation, “It's too much!”

Kelly and all her friends broke out in loud laughter, all trace of tears disappearing.

Lisa reached for her craft brew and offered it to him. “Take a drink. You'll recover. Your hormones are fine.”

Greg looked at the bottle and suddenly proclaimed, “This calls for champagne! We need to celebrate!”

“Yes!” Steve said, clapping his hands. “Let's go out. Jazz Bistro is probably booked already. Let's see . . .”

“We can go to Old Town and—”

Just then the screen door to Megan and Marty's family room burst open and Cassie ran out onto the patio. She headed straight for Jennifer and Pete. “Hey, guys! Is it okay if I go with the group to the carnival? It's at that big shopping center lot off East Harmony Road. You know the one at the interstate.”

“Yes, I saw it being set up yesterday,” Jennifer said, then looked at Pete. “What do you think?”

“Will Jeannie's parents be going with you girls?” Pete asked.

Cassie nodded vigorously. “Yeah, and Susie's parents are going, too.”

“How many of you girls all together?” Jennifer asked.

“Eight. So that's two per parent,” Cassie replied.

“Smart answer,” Greg said, grinning at Cassie.

“Jeannie's parents said we'll stay until ten o'clock, then they'll have to take us back to their house to go to bed. Can I go,
please
!”

Pete smiled. “Sure you can. Let me give you some money.” He reached into his back pocket as he rose.

“Oh, Jeannie's parents said we don't need any. It's their treat.”

“Well, take some and keep it in your pocket just in case,” Pete said. He walked over to Cassie, handed her a folded bill, and gave her a big hug.

Cassie gave him a big hug in return, then went over to Jennifer and gave her a big hug. “Thanks, you guys. See you in the morning.” She raced off again.

Kelly looked over at Pete. Talk about parenting. Pete and Jennifer had been doing a fantastic job for over a year. “Good parenting, you two.” Kelly lifted her Fat Tire to them in salute.

Megan turned to Marty. “Promise me you'll be as good a dad as Pete.”

Marty held up both hands. “I'll do my best, I swear. But, he's a helluva act to follow.” He pointed at Pete.

“Ohhhh, I'm getting misty all over again,” Jennifer said, waving one hand and swiping at her face with the other.

“Me, too,” Lisa said, sniffling.

To her surprise, Kelly felt moisture behind her eyes again.
What was up with all this crying?
“You guys gotta stop. You're making me tear up again,” she warned.

“Here we go again.” Steve laughed.

“Enough with the waterworks!” Greg decreed, leaping from his chair. “I repeat my earlier suggestion. We need champagne. And more food, of course.”

“Hey, I've got a good idea!” Pete said. “Let's go to the carnival and feast on corn dogs and cotton candy and ice cream. We can finish off with champagne when we get back.”

Greg's eyes lit up. “
Genius!
Pure genius! Yes! We'll celebrate with carnival food! Let's go!” He started for the screen door.

“Wait! Wait! We've gotta tell Burt and Mimi before they go to bed! They'll be asleep when we get back.”

“Oh, yes! We have to tell them! I can't wait to hear Mimi squeal!” Megan laughed.

“Okay, okay,” Greg said, pacing on the patio. “Call 'em now. I'm getting hungry again.”

Marty reached inside his pocket and handed over his cell phone before Megan could dig hers from her purse. Megan quickly punched in Mimi's number and sat, grinning, while everyone watched.

“Burt? It's Megan. Marty and I have some great news and we wanted to share it before you guys go to bed. Put Mimi on the phone so she can hear, too.” Megan held the phone, waiting. “Mimi? Can you both hear? Marty and I are going to have a baby!
Yes!
Really!” Megan looked up at her friends. “She's squealing! I'm putting it on speaker.” Megan held up the phone for everyone to hear. A high-pitched voice sounded over the speakerphone, definitely a squeal.

Kelly and all her friends laughed as Mimi's squeal of delight drifted over the phone.

•   •   •

Standing
in between concession stands and carnival game booths, Kelly sank her teeth into the sticky, sugary pink froth and took another bite. Cotton candy. Nothing was like it. What felt like a big bite of froth dissolved immediately on her tongue and left an intense desire to take another bite and another. Sugar high.

Steve slipped his arm around her waist as he devoured his batch of cotton candy. “Man, you forget how good this stuff is,” he said after he swallowed.

Kelly licked her lips. “Yeah, it's a good thing the carnival doesn't come around every weekend.” She gazed up at the Ferris wheel, spinning in its loop. Spotting Megan and Marty rock their seat back and forth, she had to laugh. “You know, it's hard to picture Marty being a father. Megan, yes. I can even picture her organizing nursery school picnics. But Marty? I don't know. He's a great lawyer, for sure. But when he's out of the office, Marty goes totally into goofball mode. Athletic goofball, yes. But, still.”

Steve swallowed another bite of the pink confection. “Don't worry. Marty will be up to the challenge. Besides, half of that goofball routine is an act. Marty enjoys making people laugh.”

“You're right about that.” Kelly savored another sugary mouthful as she watched a woman try to throw a rubber ring over a milk bottle. She spotted Greg and Lisa go by on the Ferris wheel. Greg was holding his hands way up high. Lisa was covering her eyes. Around and around the wheel
turned. Laughing people. Children of all ages with their parents. Everyone laughing. Some simply stared at everything, their eyes wide as saucers. She remembered the great view from the top of a Ferris wheel. Wondrous. Looking out over your part of the world.

“They'll both be good parents,” Steve said before he took another big bite of froth.

“I wonder how things will change now. Rather, once they have the baby,” she said, voicing a thought that had bounced around in her mind. “Will they be able to get together as much? I mean with us. Like now.”

“Sure they will,” Steve said, not missing a beat. “They'll just get babysitters like everybody else does. You know, like our friends the Carpenters and Bergdorfs.” He took another bite.

That made sense, Kelly thought to herself. Just like other couples. She watched the Ferris wheel make another few turns then start to slow down. The ride was over. Time to load up more people who wanted a view from the top.

“C'mon, let's ride the Ferris wheel again,” Kelly said suddenly, taking Steve's hand and walking in that direction.

“Third time, huh?” Steve said with a grin as they walked closer to the ticket taker who monitored the Ferris wheel entrance. “The view from the top.”

“Can't beat it,” Kelly said, finishing off the cotton candy. As she did, she spotted Cassie with some of her school friends laughing and half walking, half running toward the next ride of whirling cups and saucers.

“You know, if Megan and Marty can have a kid half as great as Cassie, they'll be lucky.”

“Oh, yeah.” Steve nodded, then tossed his empty cotton candy cone into a nearby trash can.

Kelly followed suit, then yanked on Steve's hand. “C'mon. The view from the top awaits.” They both laughed as they ran to the Ferris wheel entrance booth.

This elegant shell has two simple cables on a reverse stockinette background and a rolled neck.

Sizes: Finished measurements in inches

*Length is easily adjusted between the bottom edge and the armhole. Changes in length or width change the amount of yarn required.

MATERIALS (YARDS):

Summit Silk and a sport-weight yarn run together, or any yarn that will give the correct gauge.

NEEDLES:

1 US #8 straight or circular needle

1 US #8 16-inch circular needle

GAUGE:

4.5 sts = 1 inch in reverse stockinette stitch

CABLE PATTERN:

Worked over 12 sts

Row 1 (WS): k.

Row 2: p2, k1, p6, k1, p2.

Row 3, 5, and 7: k2, p2, k4, p2, k2.

Row 4 and 6: p2, k2, p4, k2, p2.

Row 8: p2, sl next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold in front, p2, yo, then k2tog in back, from cable needle, sl next 2 sts to cable needle and hold in back, k2tog in front, yo, p2 from cable needle, p2.

Repeat these 8 rows for cable pattern.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Back:

With smaller needles, CO 79 (84, 89, 94, 99) sts. Work as follows: 18 (19, 21, 23, 25) sts in reverse stockinette st, 12 st cable pattern, 19 (22, 23, 24, 25) reverse stockinette st, 12 sts cable pattern, 18 (19, 20, 21, 23, 25) reverse stockinette sts. Keep first st and last st in garter st throughout back. Work even in pattern as established until piece measures 14 (14, 14½, 15, 15½) inches from beginning. End on WS row.

Shape Armholes:

Row 1 (RS): k2, p2tog, work in pattern as established to last 4 sts, p2tog, k2.

Row 2 (WS): k2, k2tog, work in pattern as established to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2.

Next row (RS): Repeat row 1. Work 1 row even in pattern as established. Repeat these 2 rows 6 times more, end on
WS row. Keeping 2 sts in garter st at each side, work even in pattern as established on 61 (66, 71, 76, 81) sts until armholes measure 7 (7, 7½, 8, 8½) inches from beginning. End on WS row.

Shape Shoulders:

BO 3 (4, 5, 6, 7) sts at beg of the next 2 rows.

Next row (RS): BO 3 (4, 5, 6, 7) sts, work to end decreasing 2 sts at the center of each cable.

Next row (WS): Decrease 1 st at the ender of each cable. Slip remaining 43 (44, 45, 46, 47) sts onto a holder for the back collar.

Front:

Work same as back.

Finishing:

Seam pieces lightly. Sew shoulder and side seams.

Collar:

With 16-inch circular needle and RS facing, begin at left shoulder seam, and k43 (44, 45, 46, 47) sts from front holder, then k43 (44, 45, 46, 47) sts from back holder. 86 (88, 90, 92, 94) sts remain. Mark beginning of round and carry marker up. Work even in St st until collar measures 5 inches from beginning. BO all sts loosely. Fold collar down to outside so that reverse St st side shows.

Pattern courtesy of Lambspun of Colorado, Fort Collins, Colorado. Pattern designed for Lambspun by Yvette
Silverman.

1⅓ cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup rolled oats

⅓ cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 beaten egg

¾ cup milk

¼ cup cooking oil

In mixing bowl combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well and set aside. Grease muffin pans (12 2½" cups) and set aside. In a smaller bowl combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients all at once and stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about ⅔ full. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in muffin pan for 5 minutes on wire rack, then remove from muffin cups onto rack. Serve warm. Makes about 10–12
muffins.

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