My Happiest Day of the Year
Saturday, March 13 will be my happiest day of this year. It’s the day–or, rather the night–on which we set our clocks ahead one hour (“Spring Forward”) to ready ourselves for Daylight Savings Time. Now, I realize that this is not everyone’s absolute favorite day of the year. Many will claim that to be Halloween or Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve, or even New Year’s Day. But this is my absolute favorite one–always has been, probably always will be. Partly because it’s dependable (Even in the long, dark days of winter, we know it’s coming.), but it’s always a bit of a surprise. No one really knows from one year to the next when this clocks-changing day will occur. And although for a while the mornings are dark, well yes, that’s an inconvenience we live with. But the added sunlight on the other end of the day all but makes up for that. For me. Maybe it presents additional opportunities to soak up that important Vitamin D that’s getting more and more attention. Maybe it’s because the days really are getting longer, although the shift is so gradual that we are aware of this only over time. Maybe it’s THE happiest day because in some way it makes me a better knitter, but I don’t think so.
I am really trying to figure out how this time switch connects to knitting because everything in my life seems to connect to knitting. Actually, I don’t think it really helps my knitting very much. It makes me want to be outdoors more–in my garden and on more walks and bike rides. It makes me dream of warm, sunset filled evenings on the beach, a cookout underway, a blue or a striper on the line–the good life of Nantucket. And yes, that dream includes wearing a much loved cotton or linen blend handknit fisherman sweater over a tee shirt and shorts. And it includes a nearby basket of knitting, fairly simple so distractions don’t screw things up. No, I didn’t get far from knitting, after all. I was simply led to summer knitting! Dreaming of shawls, linen confections, little cotton lace sweaters, cozy cotton blankets. Yes. It’s pretty good, that summertime knitting.
And while summer knitting is not central to why this is my happiest day of the year, it’s not all bad! So if you’re reading this, please consider making Saturday, March 13 your happiest day of the year. And while you’re doing that, think about your summer knitting projects and what might be lurking out there for you in Daylight Savings Time Knitting Land!
