unraveled

Once the threads on sweaters start unraveling, it's pretty hard to stop the process. Holes may be almost imperceptible at first, but soon they become rather gaping. On one of the days of this past winter I decided that I wanted to wear a favorite sweater of mine - a handmade gift that I've had for years and have happily, even proudly worn. It was already rather late in the winter, and I was even a bit surprised that I hadn't worn it at until then. I took it off the shelf and slipped it on over my head without even looking at it, only to discover, once it was on me, that numerous holes had formed in it, making it most definitely unwearable. Dismayed, I changed my clothes for the day ... and returned the unwearable sweater to the shelf in the closet.

Although holes, once started, continue to grow, not all holes in sweaters make them unwearable. Another favorite sweater came into my possession already in advanced stages of unravel around the elbows and needed cloth elbow-pads sewn on before I could wear it at all. Today, with each wearing, the holes that have appeared in other places on the sweater continue to expand, but I've convinced myself that they're still minor and that perhaps I can get another season of wear before admitting that my days in it are over.