Hello my lovely people,
Once again the world's worst blogger returns 😂 life kinder gets in the way sometimes right...... That and playing Resident Evil Village..... Scary game in places right?
Well anyway I was going through some old short stories I've written over the years, either for competitions or a personal break of the long epic novels.
This one was for a magazine, a Knitting and Crochet mag. Now you all know how much I love Crochet, anyone following me on Twitter knows that I am the super secret elite section of Trooper 😂
On a serious note I just wanted to share a free story with you because I had a nice time thinking this one through, I wanted to touch on the fact men do knit or crochet, that it's a beautiful art and anyone can do it..... Also I wanted a slight hint of romance.
So enjoy and let me know which ending you like more....... I feel ending one leaves things open while ending two is sweeter ♥ 🤗
For the love of Ruby
She slowly turned the ball of bright red yarn over in her hands, imagining all the wonderful things she could make. She squeezed it smiling as it almost instantly bounced back into shape, her mind racing with that her needles of hook could create, but before she could pop it into her basket, she felt a tapping on her shoulder.
Was the Security Guard who had been eying her since she walked in finally made his move, should she turn around and confidently confront him? Could he want to address the items in her pocket, the row holder was perfectly paid for in the larger store five minutes away. And she had the receipt to prove it. Maybe he wanted to speak to her on a personal level, he did always flash a smile at her whenever she came in. that was almost every other day. He seemed pleasant when he joined in the conversation she had last week with the Cashier. But who knew.
“Excuse me,” She turned to the sound of a timid, male voice, not the strong, accusing voice most Security Guard’s seemed to have. Maybe it was part of the job description, she decided. “I’m really sorry to bother you but. Are you going to buy that?” The mousy haired man motioned towards the bright red yarn in her hand, an identical ball in his own. She was relieved it was not the Security Guard, charming or not, she wasn’t in the mood for a personal conversation with him. Plus, she was no thief after all. The man, however, was a fellow shopper.
“Oh, this, I was thinking about it, I haven’t quite decided.” Was that a look of relief on the man’s slightly stubbly face? She looked back at the yarn before them, then she realized why he had tapped her shoulder. “Oh, there’s only two balls left.” She thought turning her eyes back to the waiting man.
What should she say, this was a little store and whatever they had on the shelf was what they had. Period. She would have to wait days before a new delivery arrived. Maybe they wouldn’t have this colour again, this could be her only chance to get this red yarn and make something beautiful. Like a rose maybe for the jumper she was working on for her Grandma, she loved red roses and always had such beautiful blooms every year.
Yet, the man’s baby blue’s still looked at her, those few seconds seemed to linger as she mustered the courage to speak to him again. “You need it for your project?” The man’s eyes lit up as he nodded, still holding the second ball of bright red yarn in his hands.
“Oh yes I do, I’m making a knitted doll for my little girl. It’s taken me months to do it, messed it up a few times, one leg longer than the other that kind of thing.” Months, she thought remembering her first project.
“Maybe he’s slow, I knit slowly.” She smiled lovingly as she remembered her days spent with her Grandfather, learning to knit after dinner. She had taken around a year to make a rather tatty looking blanket, but she was proud none the less of it and still had the thing now.
“I’m a bit of a beginner you see, never done this before but she has her heart set on having a knitted doll so. Sorry, I didn’t mean to on.” In those few seconds, she felt something, she felt some kind of connection with him and felt she wanted to know more.
“No, no, it’s alright.” She smiled, the bright red yarn still in hand. “It’s alright, we all get like that you know, when two knitter’s get together it’s like opening the flood gates and we just can’t help it.” He was a very sweet looking man, even if he did not look the type to sit and knit a doll, he had more of a nerdy look about him. Someone who played computer games, not sat, needles in hand figuring out the difference between Garter and Stocking stitch. “My first project took me over a year to make, it was only a blanket and did look like a car crash of colour’s.” They shared a small laugh, the store itself was only a small family run craft shop, the doors were always open to the little village street outside. They always had classical music playing softly in the background as the crafter’s made their way around the different isles. The lights were bright in places and dim in others, it was a very nice place to meet and have a chat. She had met many of her crafty friends here and simply shopped buying yarn she did not need but simply wanted. “But I was still proud of it none the less, holes or not.” She grinned, she noticed his ears had turned slightly pink as he lowered his head and smiled such a heartwarming smile she felt herself melt slightly.
“Bet you weren’t mid-thirties when you started though.” The man said with a slight red tint in his cheeks, now matching his ears. She smiled and shook her head politely, she had been a young girl of six when she started, that was twenty years ago. “That’s what I thought, I’ve been to a few coffee mornings’ recently, knitting related of course. It’s been really nice, meeting with other people, different kinds of people.” She knew what he was trying to say, there was a young man in her Friday night group, Matt, he had recently been diagnosed with depression. He had been reluctant to come to the group with his mother, she had dragged him along and he had sat there on his phone. It took a little while before she noticed he was into gaming, like her, so she pulled out her secret weapon, normally saved for the younger classes. Superhero knitted dolls. This caught his attention. This made him look up from his phone slightly, then fully when she produced Batman, Superman, The Flash even Mr. J himself. The following week he was there with a set of needles and shyly asked if she could teach him how to make Batman and that was that, he was hooked.
“It’s very therapeutic knitting, we have a mixture of skill levels in our group, I run a class on Wednesday nights for those with depression, different stages you understand. We find it distracting and calming, you know, you focus completely on the project. Some talk while others sit at tables just knitting. Some say it’s better than counseling.”
“I know, that’s the reason I started, well that and my daughter.” She knew that look in his eyes, that look of pride and loving, the look of a doting father. “I figure she’ll not forget me whenever she cuddles it.”
“Pardon me?”
“Oh, I’m a divorcee, just over six months now, she’s still too young to fully understand of course why daddy’s not there all the time anymore but. Sorry, there I go again.” With a somewhat frustrated sigh he ran his hand through his hair, letting it fall either side of his rather handsome face. “I, ah, didn’t mean to take up so much of your time, I think this one ball should be enough.” As the man turned to go, she felt rather rash as she reached out and touched his arm lightly. She hoped he did not think her rather forward for being so familiar.
“Um, what did you need it for?” She held the bright red yarn up slightly.
“Oh, just the dress, red is her favorite colour. Funny really.” He seemed to share a private joke as his lips curled in a sweet smile. “Oh, sorry, her name is Ruby, my lovely little Ruby, her birth month too. Anyway, as I said before, sorry I took up so much of your time, I’m sure you didn’t expect to have some stranger prattle on.”
“No, No don’t worry, it’s alright.” She smiled faintly as the man smiled softly and walked further down the aisle to the darker tones of red.
She looked down at the bright red yarn in her hand, she turned it over slowly and thought about all the wonderful things she could make. The ball of yarn screamed out to become a rose, a striking red rose on the pocket of the left hand side of Grandma’s jumper.
Then she looked up at the man, beginner in the world of knitting. She had been there. The sweet man making a knitted doll for his daughter. Something she had done for her younger sister before she died. A doll with a bright red dress. A doll for his little Ruby.
Ending One
He reached for a darker shade of red and turned it over in his hand, this shade was not quite right, it said noble lady, not so much strawberry princess, but it would have to do. He knew his dress would look nothing like the beautiful doll from the pattern, but he didn’t care. He knew Ruby would love a Princess doll, he knew she wanted a knitted doll and HE would be the one to make it.
“Even if she does have a slightly darker red dress.” He thought sadly to himself, that red would have been perfect, but he needed two balls. He was about to pop it into his basket when someone tapped on his shoulder.
“Excuse me,” She smiled, handing him a ball of bright red yarn.
Ending Two
“Even if she does have a slightly darker red dress.” He thought sadly to himself, that red would have been perfect, but he needed two balls. He was about to pop it into his basket when someone tapped on his shoulder.
“Excuse me,” She smiled, handing him a ball of bright red yarn. He looked down and felt his chest explode with gratitude. “And, if you need any help with the doll at all, my number.” Who was this young woman, this pink cheeked, well spoken young lady draped with a fine knitted cardigan? “Good luck.” She said softly before turning to walk away, he looked down at the ball of yarn and noticed she had written her name and mobile number on the wrapper of the red yarn. He felt a lump form in his throat, his mouth went dry leaving him wondering how he ever got married in the first place.
“Wait,” she turned on her heel and waited expectantly. “Do you, I mean if you’re not too busy, want to grab a coffee?”
