Dyed a watercolor blue
Friday July 06th 2007, 1:42 pm
Filed under: Knit,Life

My sister-in-law is running in a marathon to raise money for breast cancer, and so is for a brief time on my side of the country; yesterday she drove from Sacramento down here for a visit–not a trivial amount of driving time, and much appreciated. I had two shawls I’d been wanting for quite some time to have her pick one from in person. Actually, no, more than those, but those were the two I was sure she would like the best.

I hauled out a whole bunch of ziploc bags, started opening them, and she immediately loved the two I’d most anticipated she would. She picked the one made from this baby alpaca yarn, and I was pleased that she was getting one that was in a yarn that I’d dyed. She asked about the pattern, and I told her the story of the Water Turtles and gave her a copy of Wrapped in Comfort. Oh! She told me about her friend who had so much loved turtles. They had recently scattered his ashes….hand dyed baby alpaca There was a moment of pain and love in her face. And delight that she had somehow picked the turtle-related shawl, a way to hold him close to her thoughts and not have him be gone.

I was so focused on spending every last moment with her that I could that I utterly forgot the camera. Which is as it should be.

(Ed. to add: the photo is a bit hazy close up, and clearer to the view as you get farther away from it. As so much of life is, especially the parts involving loss. I rather like the photo. It fits.)


3 Comments so far
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It’s great that you were able to spend some time with her today. Is she a survivor?

Comment by Amanda 07.06.07 @ 6:06 pm

That stopped me a moment. She’s one of the strongest people I know, an exquisitely kind soul. A survivor? With some of the things she’s had to go through? Absolutely. I know, you meant is she family with the fellow who passed, and no, she described him as their friend. But I will be reflecting on your question for quite some time. And remembering to be one too.

Comment by AlisonH 07.06.07 @ 7:05 pm

Well, that story tugged at the heartstrings! How lovely.

Comment by Carol 07.07.07 @ 8:21 am



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