In Praise Of Her Triumph

This sock,

To you and I, perhaps, a simple exercise,

To her, a labour of love. My mother's right hand, once dominant, now dormant

In its new place -- even now nearly 18 years since the aneurysm and strokes -- as second to the left.

Time once was she lulled me to sleep with quicksilver clicking and sliding of needles, yarn dancing in her hands.

Gifts for herself and others all but flew from her tips.

Today, each stitch a miracle of patience and perseverance.

The woman who dared once more to live, to walk, to speak, to drive, to fight for independence...

The woman who dared not dream of gardening, of grandchildren, of quilting, of knitting...

All these, now, she enjoys,

And with her we celebrate.

We praise her triumph daily.

How could we have predicted the extraordinary work she would do to retrain her left hand, befriend that sinister side, as she determined to knit again, one-handed, nearly fifteen years after the insult? Then on from dishcloth to scarf to sock, and not one but two at a time?

Hers is a simple faith and patience

That each stitch can be made, each technique mastered,

In its time.

Which is saying a lot.

For her time moves more slowly now,

And socks that once would have been the whim of a week now occupy the steady ticking of a year.

But oh, what a glorious year:

Each stitch, each day, a blessing without equal!

Pattern: Mash-Up Magic Toe-Up Socks (MUMTUs) by Zhenya Lavy. Ravelers get it here. Or find it with a full pictorial on Aesthetic Entanglementz.

Modified for a short-row heel.
Started: January 1, 2010, on Orcas Island in the San Juans (WA)

Progress: New Orleans (LA) and Mentor (OH)
Completed: December 17, 2010, in Lake Forest Park (WA)
Materials: Crystal Palace Yarns' Mini Moochi, Green/Purple 103, 2 skeins
Needles: US 2 (40" circular)

Nicety From NOLA

When my sister flew up from New Orleans last May to help my family move, she brought a surprise:

This sweet little sock project bag actually was created not by my sister but by her friend, Terri. I love it!

Terri, who had only just recently learned how to sew, designed the pattern. It features a carrying handle, a zipper, and grommets at the top...

... and bottom. It's also fully lined!

I think her fabric selection is just lovely. Check out the sunny lining peeking through!

To what did I owe this unexpected generosity from afar? A few years back, I had let Terri purchase from my stash some yarn she needed to make the Tulip Purse. And, of course, we're friends on Ravelry, where we have chatted on a few occasions. But the biggest connection is my sister and their friendship (which has included many, many hours in knitting circles and several knitting travel escapades). It's always interesting to be reminded of the many ways knitting unites us.

I've long wanted to blog about this gift, but hadn't really been anywhere much near my knitting since the move and so had left it unannounced. With Christmas yesterday, I was reminded to give thanks for this very special and now-beloved gift. It's happily stuffed with a sock project right now.

Thank you, Terri, and many blessings to you for the New Year!