Pay it forward
Friday May 11th 2012, 11:22 pm
Filed under: Friends,Knitting a Gift

It seems so obvious in hindsight.

The other thing I did yesterday was…

I came home slightly sunburned and tired: I was a klutz, no, but I mean, even more so. I smacked my head hard into the metal birdfeeder, of all things–it’s not like it had moved from its usual spot–and my foot into the corner of the treadmill hard enough to wonder if I’d broken it. Jammed my thumb just to keep it in threes.

I had multiple plans for the evening but that foot wasn’t going anywhere.

I wound balls of yarn, not sure what to knit next, needing to feel useful while station-nary. I had several people right at the top of my list but with no idea on the color for one coming from out of town next week nor whether she should even be first in line. I met her in person two years ago, briefly; I just had no idea. (Although, Afton, her sister has your hair, in case yours ever goes missing.)

So I did what I do, I said a prayer. This ball? Eh, could be okay. This one? Not interested. This one? Definitely not!

And then after quite a bit of stash diving, I happened to see some that had not and would not have occurred to me and it leaped out at me anyway and stamped its little feet and demanded. Nothing else had felt remotely like that.

Pink? A light pink hat? Seriously? (Truth be told, it was fragile laceweight mink that must be knitted at least doubled and I’d done several things in that stuff of late. I was quite ready for something else. Although, slick Addis rather than my usual rosewoods, like these here, probably would have helped.)

But it knew even if I didn’t. I surrendered. Tripled strands. I worked all this afternoon and evening on it, my feet propped up as needed, and now it just needs the ends run in.

I found as I knit that I kept thinking of the hat a friend knit me while I was so ill, how warm it kept me at night, how grateful I am for its pink-and-gray-striped warmth–three years later, I still wear it on cold nights.

If my friend getting this one should ever need a warm super-soft hat, whenever the time, well, she’ll have it, then. She doesn’t have a major illness–but her husband does: slowly, slowly progressing, and in the end he will not survive it.

Just because it’s not new news doesn’t mean it isn’t hard. My goodness, what could I have knitted her but that mink!


7 Comments so far
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Oh, my! Knitted mink will surely help your friend. And I do hope your sunburn, head, foot, and thumb are all much better now. Yikes!

Comment by DebbieR 05.12.12 @ 12:01 am

Hope you’re feeling well today. Sunburn and three injuries?! Maybe you need the soft tender care of mink right now too?

Comment by Channon 05.12.12 @ 3:51 am

Ouch! I’d rather give birth than stub my toe! I hope you feel better now.

Comment by Jody 05.12.12 @ 5:24 am

Sunburn? You scared me! I know you know better!
As for the knitting, it’s easier to listen when we’re not talking.
Don

Comment by Don Meyer 05.12.12 @ 9:05 am

I hope you’re feeling better, overall. You have shown us so many examples of paying it forward! Yet, it’s still wonderful to read of one more. 🙂

Comment by Suzanne in Montreal 05.12.12 @ 7:51 pm

Just {{{hugs}}}

Comment by Diana Troldahl 05.13.12 @ 3:03 pm

I should check my blogs more often. I did check in the mirror and I still have my hair. Whew!

Comment by afton 05.14.12 @ 9:57 am



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