Shawl from Shades of Red yarn

Although I haven’t written much about what’s happening in my little part of the world, you may rest assured that Life goes on apace, and we are moving right along as best we are able.

Didja ever get stuck by saying to yerself “Well, I don’t have that done, so I can’t do this thing over here neither”  which is precisely what I’m doing lately.
Ya see, our family newsletter is not written.  Nor printed, collated, stuffed, stamped, or mailed.
Not to mention the Thank You notes for Christmas gifts.

What’s even more difficult to explain is that I keep putting off the writing by crocheting some more.  In the last month I have done 14 straight bookmarks, 6 cross bookmarks, and 12 potholders.

All of which helped me to avoid the latest Comfort Shawl.

With a bit of apology to those who have heard the story a few times in real life, I will write about it here so we can get going onward to the next phase.

Awhile back I mentioned a great find in the Clearance Bin at the craft store.  I wanted to make all those pretty shades of reds into the next Prayer Shawl.  Being such nice cotton yarn, and knowing the person I had in mind to receive it, I wanted a bit of open lacework for the pattern.

Now, the purpose of a Prayer Shawl is to be a meditation for the worker, and a comfort and blessing for the wearer.  While working with my previous three shawls (do you realize I made 4 in the year 2006?), I was able to find the rhythm and pray, listen to soft music, watch uplifting movies, or be attentive in conversations with the folks around me.
This one being a more detailed pattern, I had to be alone and count stitches ALOT!

At one meeting of the Yarn Group, I’m chattering away about Christmas plans, or listening to another lady tell me all about her daughter-in-law.  I changed colors, worked all the way down and back and realized my count was off for the first space.
Those two rows had to be pulled out.

Working on this took weeks longer than I had allowed.  I kept leaving it to do an easier piece, or for a gift.
When I finally got it done, I sighed with relief.  But I realized that the main purpose, for comfort and blessing, had not come forth.

On the first Sunday of this New Year, there was to be a Reception between the Worship and Sunday School hours.  More or less giving me the morning off from my duties as the Fellowship Class Hostess.  I figured I might as well get some church-going folks to speak some praises, maybe add a sacred touch.

While I was talking to someone, the shawl draped over my shoulders, I felt the edge move.  I turned to find a baby girl, nearby in her mother’s arms, had grabbed up the corner of the shawl and pulled it up to nuzzle against her plump baby cheek.  The pretty color red had caught her eye and the softness of the yarn invited feeling the texture.
This was definitely the Blessing I had been seeking.
The sweet child did not want to let it go.
Her mother had to pull her fingers open.

I promised I would make her a blankie of her very own with the yarn leftovers.

And so I did.  And I bought a dolly at the thrift store, just the right size for swaddling in an afghan which measures 14” by 15”.

Okay, now that major projects needing crochet are not hovering, I suppose I really should get going on writing a family newsletter.  I cannot feel too awful bad about being tardy, we have received four fine greetings in the last couple weeks.
This tells me that other folks have just as many feelings of duty and dread and delight as I do.

~~love and Huggs, Diane

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