The last time I took a photo of this, shortly after starting it last week, I had gotten through 3½ pattern repeats. I'm now up to 8 out of a planned 20 repeats. It seems like good progress until one considers that each pattern repeat adds on two more iterations of the motif. So, that translates into a planned total of 420 repeats of the motif, of which I have done 72 - roughly 17%. And then I have to knit on an edging. I think I'll be going for quick and easy, as there's a certain degree of expediency required with this project.
When I started this shawl last week, I thought I was doing it for its own sake and had no recipient in mind for it. It struck me the next day, though, that it already had an owner. It would serve as a prayer shawl for my great-uncle Bill's wife, Carol. You may remember that I visited Bill last month when I was in North Carolina. The progression of his lung cancer sped up over the past couple weeks, and Bill passed away at around midnight Monday night.
I'm sure Carol will do okay. Hospice was a great help in getting them through the last few months, as were their very strong network of family & friends. The shawl will just be my little contribution to that web of love and support, with my own memories of Bill knit into each stitch.
Update (2 May): Just before I visited North Carolina in March, The Raleigh News & Observer ran a front page story in their Sunday edition on Bill's end-of-life journey. In today's paper, the writer of that article wrote another brief article about Bill's passing. For anyone who might be interested, it can be viewed here for probably about another week before it gets archived.
8 comments:
That is a lovely destination for the shawl, and it is looking beautiful.
I'm sorry for your loss.
The shawl is lovely and I'm sure it will comfort Carol.
I'm so sorry about your great uncle. The shawl is beautiful, and I'm sure will bring some comfort to Carol.
I'm sorry to hear about your great uncle. The shawl is absolutely beautiful and your great Aunt will treasure it. I find it really cathartic to make a prayer shawls don't you?
So very sorry for your loss. The shawl will make a lovely gift for Bill's wife and will be a great comfort to her, I'm sure.
I'm very sorry to hear about your uncle's death. Sounds like he was a great guy. I'm glad he had good care at the end.
The shawl looks great, and I'm sure your aunt will love it.
What a remarkable man and what a remarkable death. I read the article and was so moved by Bill's strength and optimism in the light of his terminal illness.
Yes, it must be a terrible loss for you, for Carol, for Bill's family and friends. But how fortunate to have had a man like that in your lives. Knitting is excellent grief therapy, whether your are the maker or the recipient, and Carol will, I'm sure, be happy to have your lovely shawl.
That's a lovely shawl for Carol and I'm sure she'll think it lovely that you sent it. Bill sounds like a great character! I'm glad he got to go at least in some way the way he desired.
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