I sent my son John an email earlier this week and mentioned about my going to Purlescence and having had that handdyed Blue Moon Peru skein leap into my hands and insist, as loudly as a bluejay defending its nest, that it had found its territory and I was not to argue. Didn’t matter that it was a heavier weight than I wanted. Didn’t matter that it wasn’t what I was looking for. It had found my hands. That’s all that mattered to it.
And so I had had to introduce myself to this stranger of an alpaca-blend yarn. Not knowing why it was so sure of itself, I figured out a pattern that would match the autumn-leaves effect of the colorway and knitted the thing up quickly for–who? There wasn’t enough yardage to get it as long as I wanted and there was just the one skein, so I kept the stitch count fairly short and left the neck long and wide and open to make sure it would work well for a larger person should it need to. Fling it over the shoulder, tie it in front, whatever, it would do. It would go well over a winter coat, given its thickness, and then once inside, the wearer could fasten it over their blouse or sweater.
John wrote back. Given that he’d already asked for a shawl once during his two-year mission for the Mormon Church–that silk one (better picture here) I sent him awhile back–he’d felt very hesitant about imposing on me again. But just like the silk went to a woman with MS, he knew, in the city he was now serving in, another woman with severe health problems he was worried about. He hadn’t been going to ask me again, but…
And it was sitting there in the corner going, Hah! Toldja so. I answered John, You’re not asking, I’m offering.
That son of mine has a soft spot for people with health issues. I wonder how that happened?
It felt right. I don’t even know the woman’s name this time, much less her coloring or favorites. It still felt right. It’s not bluejaying me anymore–now it’s time for it to bluejay him. He won’t be out there much longer, so I FedExed it to make sure it got there while he could still get it where it needs to go. The time to do good in this life is short enough as it is.
He’ll do the right thing with it.
And now you know as much as I do.