Boxes on the doorstep
Saturday March 07th 2009, 5:25 pm
Filed under: Friends

Grace's shawl

Grace surprised me with a box in the mail today: a shawl she had designed based on my patterns and that she’d named after me.   Wow. Thank you, Grace! I so totally did not expect that!

Joanne Seiff and I grew up on opposite sides of the Potomac River, fellow Washingtonians and email friends.  She has been working on a book, “Fiber Gathering,” a celebration of the various American fiber festivals, and a copy arrived yesterday.

from Joanne Seiff's "Fiber Gathering"I love that Joanne’s husband traveled with her and snapped the photos for the book; reading through and admiring the work of both of them is like watching them being happy together.  It makes me want to pull out my drum carder and spinning wheel and get back to work with my soft-as-cashmere kid mohair fleece in the closet.  (Let’s give the surgery recovery a little more time first before I use that carder, though.  And I’m not quite so sure about treadling the wheel either, yet.  But I want to!)

There is a Fishtail vest that was designed by Terri Shea, who, years ago, sent me a copy of the children’s book, “Love You Forever,” having no idea that I’d wished for a copy but hadn’t bought one because my kids were really too old for it; but I used to sing the little poem in it to my friend Lisa’s baby, Tara, whom I designed my Redwood Burl shawl for–Lisa and the by-now-teenaged Tara both, whose story I told in my own book.

Lisa’s family came from Michigan to Sam’s wedding reception five years ago, and I asked Tara if she remembered that song at all; she didn’t, which was no surprise, but someday I hope to sing it to her children.  And to my own children’s children.

Terry’s Fishtail is held together in Jeff’s photo by a shawl pin designed by–I don’t see it in the text, but I recognized it instantly–my friend Rosemary Hill.  (Wait–“Resources,” pg 160. There it is.) And there were other patterns designed by people I recognized from the Knitlist and whom I’d had a conversation or three with over the years.  Going through this book was like reconnecting with old friends.

Then there’s a picture at Estes Park, Colorado, at a spot I recognize: it’s next to where I snapped probably my own best-ever photograph.  A friend’s dad had lifted his hand up to a very large bird soaring near us, and it had come and landed at the edge of his hand. There was a backdrop of a single white cloud framing the bird as I shot the picture from below.  I will forever think of Estes Park with that breathtaking moment.

I can just imagine all the memories Joanne and Jeff created together as their book came to be.

still knittingMeantime, with all this gifting everybody’s doing, hey, honest, I really do knit too! Blocking, not so much, though, lately; it’s that stages-at-a-time thing again.


16 Comments so far
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Most of all I love the picture of you.

Comment by RobinM 03.07.09 @ 6:50 pm

Wow! You are one popular gal! All those gifts! I trust all this makes you feel wanted, loved.

Now, Alison, I have had not one comment from a one-handed knitter. I trust you are not putting me on.

In the humor department, I have no idea if this is true, but it could be:

I think this Mom will never forget this particular Sunday  
sermon…’Dear Lord,’ the minister began, with arms extended toward  
heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. ‘Without you, we  
are but dust…’ He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was 
listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill  little four year old girl voice, ‘Mom, what is butt dust?’ 

Comment by Don Meyer 03.07.09 @ 9:00 pm

I think Grace’s Alison Shawl is lovely and a fitting tribute. I started to make it with cobweb weight cashmere but that did not work out–I have to get some laceweight but I have it on my to-do list–where every stitch will be with a loving thought of you. I am grateful that Grace designed this.

Comment by sherry in idaho 03.07.09 @ 9:42 pm

The shawl is lovely and what a great gift to receive from such a loving friend.

I’ve been to Estes Park and is is so beautiful! I hope to return some day.

Comment by Joansie 03.07.09 @ 10:40 pm

You could get used to this kind of spoiling! How nice that you and Grace can inspire one another.

Comment by Ruth 03.07.09 @ 11:15 pm

You look lovely in the shawl named after you isn’t Grace the sweetest:)((Hugs)))Darcy

Comment by Darcy 03.08.09 @ 3:36 am

“Love You Forever” was a favorite of my kids when they were little. They didn’t like the way it originally went, so, as part of their bedtime ritual, I would say, “I’ll love you forever. I’ll like you for always. Forever and always my baby you’ll be.” Even now, at almost 18 and almost 20, they’ll occasionally say goodbye to me with just the words “Forever and always.”

Not to top Don, but here’s my true kids in church story:

Our 3 yo son was getting restless one Sunday, so I decided to take him out to the vestibule to run off some energy. As I got him to the end of the pew and started up the aisle, all of of a sudden he started yelling, “DON’T BEAT ME, MOMMY, DON’T BEAT ME!” I was mortified. The church rocked with laughter and the priest had to pause to recover his composure. After Mass, the priest asked me, with a twinkle in his eye, “Did you beat him?” All I could do was sigh.

Comment by Shirley 03.08.09 @ 8:01 am

Beautiful! I’m glad you’re being well-spoiled, and that you’re pacing yourself…

Comment by Channon 03.08.09 @ 9:39 am

Lovely shawl. You’re looking better and better!!! 🙂

I got Joanne’s book, too! I’ve been reading and enjoying. One of my patterns is in there, as well: Evergreen, a stole.

xoxoxo!

Comment by Romi 03.08.09 @ 10:10 am

Beautiful! It just goes to show that you do indeed reap what you sow!

Comment by TripletMom 03.08.09 @ 11:43 am

The shawl is beautiful. You have the most giving friends!

I love Estes Park. It’s one of the prettiest places I think I’ve ever been. I’ve never attended the fiber event there, though I do have an online friend who goes there each year with her daughters, and her wares.

Comment by Renna 03.08.09 @ 8:31 pm

My boys are almost 10 years old, and I still sing that song to them every night at bedtime. I insert their names and something about what each one did that day (As long as I’m living, my pots-and-pans-drying Cameron you’ll be). If I am busy when they go up to bed, someone will be downstairs again in about 10 minutes – “Mom, come upstairs and sing to us!”

Comment by Claudia S 03.09.09 @ 8:17 am

My baby was looking at that book recently herself. They grow way too fast. 🙂

Comment by terri 03.09.09 @ 8:46 am

is the shawl you are wearing in the book? it’s lovely

Comment by carol 03.09.09 @ 11:48 am

Lovely shawl! Glad to hear your on the same stages plan. Take it day by day. Keep on keepin’ on 😉 ::hugs::

Comment by Alicia 03.10.09 @ 8:11 am

Wow! Imagine coming home from a (internetless)vacation to read this! What a wonderful post. Thank you for celebrating the book’s publication with us! You’re right, too, it is filled with the love and labor of friends. Oh, and my professor (aka, Jeff the photographer?) he says, “Glad you liked the photos.” With an enormous grin…he loved your post, too. Glad to have a friend like you!

Comment by Joanne 03.12.09 @ 7:15 pm



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