I accepted the offer of an old, old, wool afghan over my legs on Friday evening. I set it aside because it seemed scratchy (through blue jeans.) I was back up a 4am to shower, and had another bath on Saturday. Here on Sunday morning, I still feel like it was laced with itch powder.

It seems reasonable to think old wool fibers would get dry and brittle and become a pretty effective itch 'powder.' Am I right?

This man is divorced, and moved back 'to town' for his son's social life three weeks ago(read: to better keep close tabs on a 16yr old whom he thinks is going wild.) The house was his grandmother's and has been empty for a couple of years--huge old place, lovely grounds, filled with antiques, but drafty as h***. He's tall. He's handsome. He's polite--door opening, chair pulling, calls me in twenty minutes to be sure I get home safe and say goodnight, all as a casual matter of course (I try to act like I'm not a total stranger to such tender care but it's a stretch.) He feeds me. He's willing to watch chick flicks for company--after the news is over :)--he had another movie he wants me watch 'next time.'

I'm in a pickle. It will be easy enough to says the afghan is delicate, ask for something else, or heck, just wait for spring. It will be more difficult to take my Kirby over there and vacuum the chair, while relegating the afghan to the parlor where it can decorate an antique that nobody is expected to sit in.

Are there any similarly well-bred fiber artists out there who can advise me both on the afghan, and how Emily Post would handle this?