Posted on June 5, 2005 at 7:03 pm
I want to send thanks and hugs to everyone who left me such lovely comments last Friday when I was despairing of ever feeling worthy of knitting a stitch again. It meant a lot to me, lurkers and regulars alike speaking up and making me feel less like a schmuck. Thank you. Thank you so very much.
Yes, I’m still here, and yes, I found some time to put in a few rows of the Peacock Feathers shawl over the weekend. After last week’s shock of seeing my friend’s struggle with chemo, I’ve decided that along with some other adjustments in my life, I need to spend time knitting more for other people. I have been pushing back in the queue about six different projects that friends and family have wished for: the Scarf Style Trellis scarf for my sister, Nordic mittens for my friend Megan; a giant thing I’m going to call the Goddess Wrap for one of my oldest friends, Netta; wild cross-country ski socks for my friend Derek; a black cashmere Smoke Ring for his wife, Jess; and an Aran for my husband who has finally found a sweater design he likes (more, oh-so-much-more about this later in the week). I’ll keep working on the Peacock Feathers shawl and PS 136, but I’m not going to cast on for anything new for myself until one of them is done. I am also going to knit a few chemo caps, fun ones, like Jenna Wilson‘s from Knitty, since that is what I would wear if it was my bare head.
And I’m going to liberate some stuff from the stash. More on that as soon as I can get organized.
11 comments
XXX
[those are kisses,by the way]
And I’ll add the hugs – OOOOO.
Take care of you.
I share with you the despair of watching from the sidelines. My husband and I have a sick friend too. But he is so proud we can’t do anything at all. He’s sort of shut himself out and don’t even want to talk. Hope you’ll be able to come to terms with your shock and find some peace through your knitting.
I just read your post on your friends, and you’ve talked with me about them before…I’m sending you all the strength and love I can, to get through this difficult time. I think you have to be a Monty Python fan to get through this kind of crap, and the gift of the button for your friend is fantastic. When I was all hooked up to crap, positioned for ease of access, not for comfort, before the surgery that didn’t work, all I could think of was the guys in The Life of Brian singing “Look on the bright side of life…”
Thank you for that shot of humour, and for sharing your heartache, and I’m sure your knitting plan will not only help you feel better, but will thrill the lucky recipients of everything you make. You’re a gem, Julia, and you should know that every time you share a difficulty and a way to get through it, you help a gazillion people feel less alone. Yep, at least a gazillion. Me included 🙂 Next time you see your friend, give him a hug from me. My situation is not as scarily drastic as his, but I empathise with the fear and the need for ex-parrots pining for the fjords…
Jenna’s pattern makes a wonderful cap but it’s time-consuming (well worth it!). We’ve had a bit of bad news the last week, too, so I know how you feel.
Oh, and please tell me that you’re destashing tomorrow. Otherwise I’m going to miss out. Pooh.
ooh! I love that Peacock Feathers pattern. Where did that come from? I am shopping for a good, though not overly challenging, lace shawl pattern for some new yarn.
Love the lacy pattern! I am goign to knit that Sidar cap from Knitty too…at some point… It looks fun to knit.
Don’t forget the Spearfish socks- In my experience they make a great gift too!
There is something very satisfying and special about giving people handknitted gifts. One of my most cherished posessions is an Aran jumper that my grandmother (who taught me how to knit) made for me, with her yarn she had spun.
I made two of Jenna’s hats for friends going through chemo. I loved them. They were chanllenging enough that I had to pay attention to what I was knitting for the first time in a long time.
why not knit a prayer shawl???
http://www.shawlministry.com/
sounds like they both could use one.
I’m tellin’ ya – knitting does more for the heart and mind than anything else I’ve found. I’ve surely practiced this these past few weeks. xo.
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