Regina and I have been friends for probably 15 or so years.  Only a couple of years ago did I pick up on the subtle fact that her close friends called her Gina.  I’m sometimes slow that way.  She just didn’t want to correct me.  Hence, she’s been Gina Regina to me.

I love this girl.  She came to the yarn shop to learn to knit, after following me for years with my photography classes.  I appreciated her support, but knew she was a lefty (and a red-head) so kinda walked gently around this.  But I taught her.  Her first piece was a washcloth … and Picasso worthy.  It zigged, zagged, here a hole, there a hole … and then she sent it on to her future son-in-law as a ‘welcome to the family’ gift! (sorry, do wish we had a pic of that … and that’s a whole other story!)

Gina Regina kept at it … and has become a very astute knitter (she’ll say not, but she is).  She is not a random knitter, she knits only for her loved ones, and she will tell you that.  If she doesn’t feel the love, she won’t knit it.   And I sometimes try to call her Gina.   So that maybe she’ll knit something for me.

This pic is Gina Regina loving her first grandchild, Owen Thomas.  In a blanket she knitted.  For months.  With a boatload of love for all.  Well done, girlfriend!

The pic is Gina Regina with her first grandchild bundled up in that baby blanket she knit with love in every stitch … (some of them several times!)