Turtling along
Saturday April 26th 2008, 11:18 am
Filed under: "Wrapped in Comfort",Friends,Life

The silk Michelle shawl after blockingI was going to blog about the silk shawl yesterday. The one I’d started Monday afternoon–I was going to finish that last purl row, do the cast off, and block it Thursday night and brag about it the next day. But I didn’t. I did take its unblocked picture Friday when I did cast off, but it stayed in the camera. Nancy sent me her amaryllis photo so I could post it, and thus, yesterday I ended up talking about her turtle instead; her turtle had always charmed me. You had to look carefully for it every time you walked into her house through the atrium, thus, every visitor was invested a little bit in its well-being. Cactuses just don’t have that same hardshelled charm; I miss it now that it’s gone. Fifteen minutes after I put its story up here, Nancy, not knowing I had, called me out of the blue and told me more about it, and that last line got added to yesterday’s post.

A friend of a friend lost her friend to an untimely death, and I followed the link to go offer my condolences. Nobody should have to suffer such a great loss alone, and it doesn’t matter if she knows me or not–I knew what that kind of pain is like, and that is enough. It behooved me to speak up, however briefly.

She followed the link back to my blog and was gobsmacked. She wrote to me about her friend’s having gone out of her way to rescue a turtle in the roadway. She told me she herself had seen a turtle in the roadway that morning, at a place she never would have expected, thought of her friend, and had rescued it, grateful for the chance to put it out of harm’s way.

And here I was writing about Nancy’s small box turtle. She took great comfort in that. It had somehow survived, it had been taken in, and it had continued long and well loved. I imagine it was as if her friend were wrapping her arm around her shoulders going, here, read this. It’s okay.

We’re all in this life thing together.

7/2 silk Michelle shawl, not yet blockedMeantime, this is noise by comparison, but, here’s yesterday’s photo, short and bunchy straight off the needles, and longer and smoothed-out and blocked, above. It’s the Michelle pattern from Wrapped in Comfort, in a 7/2 kind of crunchy-feeling handpaint silk, downsized and knitted on size 7 (4.5 mm) needles.


6 Comments so far
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I love that you share when things come full circle in your life. Which happens quite often to you…. it gives me faith. Not sure if that makes sense, but that is the only way I know to say it!

Comment by Amanda 04.26.08 @ 1:22 pm

Not to embarrass you or anything, but Alison, I have to say — the more I read the things that happen with you, and the connections you make, the more I’m convinced you’re one of the Angels. For real. And if that’s too heavy a compliment, then at the very least, you are a great blessing to me and so many others. I’m glad you’re here writing your thoughts and stories. I have to echo Amanda’s comment. You bolster my faith, which is pretty darn weak at the knees lately, on good days and on bad ones. Thank you. You are a bright spot in my dark night of the soul. 🙂

Comment by Paula 04.26.08 @ 3:02 pm

i have to totally agree with the other commenters above me, I come here each day to read because I know I will find peace at this place, thank you for being here!

Comment by grace 04.26.08 @ 4:59 pm

I agree with the others too, especially Grace. This is a little reminder of what is good and right in the world. That we get to see you beautiful knits is a bonus.

Comment by Channon 04.27.08 @ 6:48 am

Yes… what every one has written, every bit, and they’ve written it far more eloquently than I could have.. and thank you.

Comment by marianne 04.27.08 @ 9:43 am

The shawl is just beautiful! 🙂

Comment by Toni 04.27.08 @ 2:55 pm



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