When is a sweater more than just a garment?

I finished my two at a time socks today! They are knit from the toe up, and this is my first time doing socks with this method. I didn't do a pattern, because it was scary enough without one. Maybe next time. When I was finished with them I went to try them on, and I couldn't get them over my heels because I had bound off the stitches too tightly. I wasn't very excited to have to undo that because I've never undone binding off. Turns out it's like frogging any other row of stitches. To any non-knitters reading this, frogging is just tearing out a row (rip it, rip it). Today I also found a pattern for a vest that I really like here, but I am going to make myself wait to start it. I still have Emma's socks to do, and I'm going to knit a sweater for Nathan.

We have talked about this sweater. I know what he wants it to look like, and he even went with me to the yarn shop to pick out the color. I have the yarn in my stash, and have bookmarked several possible patterns to use. Now I'm starting to worry. We're fairly committed to each other in that we spend a lot of time together and we don't date other people, but we don't have any wedding plans. I would like to think we are making our way toward that. . .but we aren't there yet. To me, making someone a sweater is a sign of love or serious commitment. Or both.

I have heard people recommend that sweaters shouldn't be made for men during a relationship because it will scare them off. I don't actually think this will be the case with Nathan since he suggested the sweater. I guess it's scary for me because it says, "Oooooo. This is real. Hope you're ready." Sometimes I question having started a relationship so soon after separating (October) and divorcing (February). I didn't question it at all until I mentioned wanting to get married again and a friend asked if I was ready. Of course I still struggle with thoughts of that past relationship and how it went wrong, but I know it won't be mending. So it's not that I want to return to that. It's more of a fear that Nathan will also get bored, or decide that he doesn't want to be in a relationship right now, or change his mind on some crucial point. And it scares the hell out of me. I need to get past this because Nathan is a completely different person, and it's unfair to him in a way that I even think these things. So, I have decided to embark on this sweater the way some of my friends have done prayer shawls.

I have never made a prayer shawl, but my understanding is that they are knit up with positive thoughts and prayers for the recipient. You try to keep these up through the knitting. So as I knit this sweater, I'll remember how Nathan and I met and the dates we've been on. I'll think about the things I learned in my marriage and how I can hopefully do some things differently (and I will not allow myself to dwell on that failed relationship). I'll pray that during difficult times/disagreements we'll strive to be understanding of each other and kind. If I can do this and make a wearable sweater, I think it will good.