Season’s green-ings
Thursday March 04th 2010, 11:48 pm
Filed under: Crohn's flare,Family,Friends,Knit

(Time to go wind that second hank of suri.)

Last January, Richard ran into our old friend C. at Stanford Hospital; she works there as a nurse. Her kids and ours grew up together, we’ve known each other for ages, and she greeted him joyfully.

And then she stopped suddenly and asked–Wait–does this mean Alison’s in here?

That shawl project I mentioned yesterday?

I bought the hand-dyed Cherry Tree Hill suri laceweight at the DBNY sale.  When it came, it was wiry in the hands and very thin and I knew it would never get knit by itself.

So I went looking for something to tame it and add weight to it.  I found two blue laceweights in my stash, one dyed by me, one dyed by Lisa Souza, that I knew would look stunning with it.

But I also had some 20/20/60 cashmere/silk/superfine merino in Verdoso from Colourmart that matched the fairly small bit of green in that suri. I’d already hanked, scoured, and balled it up, which you have to do with mill-oiled cones; it was in the color of life growing upwards in the spring anew.  It was so soft now and it was ready to go.

I liked the blue. I preferred the blue. I wanted to do the blue.

But the green said, simply, No. Me.

We argued with each other for a few days.

No, the green flat-out declared, I said me, and that, honey, is that.

Rargh.

And so I got started, and as I got the yoke worked on, I thought, you know, I think I’d still like that blue better–maybe I should just frog this so I could prove to that yarn that I do know better than it does, thankyouverymuch.

Green it was.  I tried to get as much done as possible before Stitches, and then, like I say, my hands had to rest for days after wheeling around there.

It was such a relief to be able to get back to work.  I put a fair amount of time into it yesterday and today, feeling like this needed to be ready–if for no other reason than that then I could dive into the fun new stuff.

And yet.  I’ve learned time and again that when something is that insistent, there’s always a good reason for it.

Maybe I shouldn’t blog the whole thing yet, just wait for the day I go to give it, while probably wearing a different one to offer to trade, because, you see, this insecure part of me always wants to whine, But what if she doesn’t *like* it?

And yet.

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and the nurse there exclaimed, Oooh, that’s *pretty*!

That helped more than she could know, and then, today, all the more.

The mail came this afternoon while I was knitting away.  A letter. It was from C.  She was throwing a party, bringing old friends together as she tries to do about once a year–and this time also hoping to raise money for breast cancer research.

For the sake of a young co-worker of hers. A single mom with breast cancer.

Who is a nurse at Stanford.

In a department I was in last January.

I had two nurses by that first name.  They saw me near death’s door. I am well now. For all their hard work and their caring, I am where I am now. I owe them all so much.

“Wear green!” said the invitation.

Oh, honey, and bring it, too.  I shall bring it, too. And I will tell that young mom that that green cashmere blend knew what it was doing.

And she will see me healthy.  I will take the colors of growth and new life with the first bluebell flowers of spring sprinkled here and there, and wrap them around her shoulders from all my heart.


15 Comments so far
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I know that you’ve said before that your hearing isn’t that great. Reading your blog, I have to disagree. You hear perfectly when the message matters, and you’re very good at listening to the messages we are sent.

Comment by Genny 03.05.10 @ 4:00 am

What a beautiful story, Alison. I’m sure God was guiding you. Perfect gift of love.

Comment by Joansie 03.05.10 @ 5:46 am

I am in awe… of your writting, of providence, of life!

My heart leaped for joy when I got to the invitation card!

Thank you for taking the time to share this with us!

Comment by Suzanne in Mtl 03.05.10 @ 7:32 am

Truly inspired.

Comment by Sherry in Idaho 03.05.10 @ 7:41 am

Serendipity comes to mind.

Comment by Sandra 03.05.10 @ 7:47 am

What an inspiration you are. As always–thank you, Alison!

Comment by Karen 03.05.10 @ 7:57 am

You are such a good example of someone who listens with their heart, and more people need to slow down so they can hear those messages too!

Comment by Kathy in San Jose 03.05.10 @ 7:58 am

But of course! Please wish her “top ‘o the morning” for me.

Comment by Barbara-Kay 03.05.10 @ 8:32 am

as always I am brought to tears when you write about this ability to hear the inspiration!

Comment by Bev 03.05.10 @ 9:02 am

Beautiful. I can only aspire to be so open to direction.

Comment by Channon 03.05.10 @ 9:18 am

She’ll like it, she’ll like it!

Fun –

The teacher was delighted to find a beautiful bouquet of flowers awaiting her when she walked into the teachers’ lounge. But she was mystified by the card which read
WITH LOVE FROM A. C. CREDMIRE. That night she told her husband about that. Laughing, he said, “I sent those flowers. I told the florist to sign it ‘With love from a secret admirer’”

Comment by Don Meyer 03.05.10 @ 10:38 am

Once again a reminder through you to me to get quiet, wait, and listen. Thanks.

Comment by Joan 03.05.10 @ 10:38 am

You said it yourself – the color of life…

Comment by twinsetellen 03.05.10 @ 5:23 pm

I want to add my best wishes for that nurse!!!
Way to go, Alison. 🙂

Comment by karin maag-tanchak 03.06.10 @ 11:36 am

Alison,this was such a touching story. It made me cry out of happiness for your health and the sadness of breast cancer touching the life of a single mother. I was a single mother myself for a great while, and I can only try to imagine how she must feel. I think nurses are some of the best people on earth. Perhaps angels at times.

Mary

Comment by Mary 03.07.10 @ 9:56 am



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