Monday, February 22, 2010

The Saga of the Sweater

Years ago, 2007 probably, when I first started knitting again, I bought Lion Brand Pound of Love in four different colors.  I wasn't really confident about my knitting skills and I wasn't ready to make a big investment in yarn.  I still have lots of this yarn in my stash although the cream color is about gone.

In May of 2008 when my mother was very ill, I traveled to Vermont to be with my sister as we sat by my mother's bedside in the hospital.  I packed the cream (antique white?) Pound of Love in my suitcase.  As my mother slipped away, my sister and I sat together knitting.  It was a way to be present and to pass the time. I take great comfort that we were able to do this.  The nurses stopped in often, both to check on my mother and on our knitting progress.  This is the second sweater I completed during the five day vigil. 

Fast forward to the winter of 2008/2009.  DH and I became snowbirds and rented a condo in Crystal River, FL.  The condo community has a wonderful craft group.  I made a number of knitted items while I was there.  And, I brought along some finished objects to show the group.

Two occurences came together just as I was ready to head back north.  One of the women in the group was expecting a grandchild.  Said grandchild was to be born in Uzbekistan.  The condo community was planning an auction event to raise money to decorate the clubhouse.  At the last craft group meeting, I offered the sweater I had knit the previous May as an auction donation.  It was gratefully accepted.

Many months later I learned that the prospective grandmother had bid on and won the sweater at the auction.  She and her husband traveled to Uzbekistan to visit their new grandchild and took the sweater with them.  It was well received.

DH and I are back in Crystal River again this winter and I am enjoying the craft group and other activities.  I even got to meet the young lady pictured above when she and her parents visited a few weeks ago.  She no longer fits in the sweater because she's grown so much.

Today her grandmother sent me a photo of this darling baby wearing the sweater I lovingly knit as my mother slipped away.  Beginnings and endings.  I guess that's what life is about.  I have tears right now but I'm not sad.  In a way, there is a connection between my mother, who loved babies, and this adorable little one who lives on the other side of the world. 

1 comment:

DragonMommie said...

Beautiful post, Barbara. Lots of things are affected by a single action and I love reading about them in various places.

I see it in my own life, especially with regards to my involvement with my church. It started out with a desire to (just) learn hymns, so I joined the choir. Soon after I left the choir, the president of the Rosary Society (also music director) asked me to take over her job and I should mention that she emphatically mentioned that if no one took it, the group would go by the way side... so here I am. Now, I am also teaching the adult conversion classes and loving it. Again, here I had just signed on to "help" my friend who was doing them alone. I thought it would just be administrative stuff like typing and copying... ho ho!

Gotta run my coffee is boiling over!