Ask Mr. Bear

You know those children's books where a child or creature, in order to find out the answer to a burning question, travels all over the woods checking in with all the different creatures? That was me today. After eating lunch in the food court of a shopping mall after getting the kids some new clothes I apparently got up and left with my knitting still sitting on my chair. I was making a little cabled baby hat from my leftover alpaca from the ruffled gloves I made a few months ago. I didn't realize it was gone until an hour or two later when I went to pull it out.

I ran back to the other end of the mall. It was gone. I asked someone at one of the restaurants where the lost and found is. He sent me to the information desk. The woman at the information desk sent me to the security office. The security office was empty. I went back to the food court and asked one of the bussers if she had seen it. She then went and asked another busser who went and asked another. No knitting. They sent me back to the security office. This time a security officer, straight from central casting, was there. I said I left a small ziploc bag with knitting in it at the food court and asked if any had been turned in. He looked at me like I had said I left a blue-tailed skink in the food court. (I did in fact see one person with his pet snake while I was eating. Shudder.) I explained again only more slowly and using my hands to illustrate what I meant by the words "small" and "knitting." He said he would check with another person.

Security Guy #1 (into walkie talkie): Uh, Steve, have you found a plastic baggie with uh...
Me: Knitting.
Security Guy #1:...knitting material in it.
Voice of Security Guy #2: I need to confirm. Did you just ask me if I found a bag with knitting material in it?
Security Guy #1: Copy that.
Voice of Security Guy #2: Uh, that's a negative.

So I'm out one Dulaan hat in progress and an Inox 16" circular. I did check in several other places but I think someone must have just tossed it in the trash. Which totally sucks.