"Serendipity is the art of making an unsought finding"
Pek van Andel
I'm getting ready to pack my bags and drive to my sister's home in Virginia. Again. This place is a wonderful spot to relax and recharge my batteries. I can sit on one of the porches for hours listening to the pond, watching the fish, deer and other wildlife. At least it's great until the sun goes down. That would be about the time the insects come out of hiding and chase us all indoors. The moths are the size of terradactyls at this hideaway in the mountains.
It'll be wonderful to see my sister and her husband whom I haven't seen since May 2007. I'll also be returning to the spot I found a beautiful shawl in a second hand store while treasure hunting. The shawl now has a story to go with my initial post. A few days ago, the woman who made this item contacted me to let me know she was the knitter who had created this piece. Here is what she has to say about her family treasure (I've edited only to protect her privacy):
When my husband and I moved to Pennsylvania, I met a lady who owned a yarn shop and she taught me how to knit. I knitted the shawl for my mother in the early 1970's. She lived in Charlottesville, where I was born and grew up. She passed away in 1997 and my sisters and I cleaned out her home. Apparently, lots of things went to Goodwill or Salvation Army and the shawl must have been among those things. Now that you have found it --- I would love to have it returned to give to my daughter who lived in Cincinnati with her husband and two daughters. The shawl now has a beautiful story attached to it and it is a story my family can tell over and over again.
For some reason, my son in North Carolina, "googled" my name and found your blog and he called me and told me about the photos. Bless you for "rescuing" my mother's shawl. Thank you for enjoying my work as much as I enjoyed creating it.
Well Niki, the only thing I appreciate better than hand knits are beautiful words. I am quite certain that love for your mother was knit into each stitch. It would be my honor to return it to you and your family.
Well Niki, the only thing I appreciate better than hand knits are beautiful words. I am quite certain that love for your mother was knit into each stitch. It would be my honor to return it to you and your family.
8 comments:
Hmmm, sounds a bit suss to me.
Ok, I take that back. I just went and read the original post and noticed the tag on the shawl, now I believe it.
My advice concerning your trip to Charlottesville, VA is..BE CAREFUL OF THE Mosquitoes..I would recommend a shawl made with a fine blend of goats fur and steel wool..whenever I travel to the mountains of virginia I always wear my shawl out at night. The last time I was there, a mosquitoe tried to bite through the shaw, but broke a tooth for the effort.
Those bugs all have buck teeth!!!!
That's a beautiful story and I'm sure they will appreciate getting the shawl back. I agree with anonymous, the mosquitos are HUGE and super hunger everywhere this year, must be global warming...ciao
WT- it is a true story.
Anon-I am taking industrial strength bug spray with unhealthy levels of deet. I heat the mosquitos there carry your luggage.
Rositta, isn't that a great story? I actually washed and I'm blocking her shawl right now. I'll have to send it out this weekend. BTW, anon is my sweetie.
Oh, I believed that you bought the shawl where you did, that someone emailed you about it, the part that I found hard to accept was how they knew it was theirs. But that was before I realised there was a name tag. I thought is was a con on their part.
I knew that (the sweetie part). I'm heading back up north next week but I don't need deet. I didn't get one bite all last weekend when all around me everyone was eaten alive, he he...ciao and have fun
The mosquitos usually don't bother me either Rositta. I loved my sweetie's idea of the goat fur and steel wool shawl though I think that may be a bit picky to wear. Worse than mohair, I'm sure.
He doesn't like road trips like these so it's just me and my XM radio taking off for the mountains.
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