My first favorite among Jane Austen’s lovable heroines was Catherine Morland, in part because like her I always had my nose in a book. I was Catherine’s age when I first read Northanger Abbey, and at that age I dreamed of Henry Tilney coming to sweep me off my feet.
As I’ve grown older, though, Anne Elliot has overtaken young Catherine in my affections. It’s not just because we share a name, or a more advanced age than the other Austen heroines, but because Anne’s is the story of a second chance. Plenty of heroines recover from a misfortune or lapse in ;judgment, but Anne suffers the consequences of refusing Captain Wentworth for years before having the opportunity to turn back the clock. She has no reason to hope, yet with continued grace her luck turns.
And so it is for any knitter. No matter what you do in knitting, you have the opportunity to remove your past mistakes and start fresh, taking what you’ve learned and moving forward to a better future finished object.
Knit fearlessly and steadfastly. Do not be afraid to correct a past error. And above all else . . . Have a good time.
Anne Merrow, editor