Monday, October 11, 2010

Yarn + Karma = Yarma

Dear Karma:

You started something this weekend.  I am asking you to follow through.

On Saturday, I bought a box of yarn from the second-hand store on the corner.  I didn't need more yarn.  I didn't particularly like the color of this yarn.  But, The Husband told me to go ahead and take it if I wanted to.
And, because I *do* have an addiction to yarn, I bought it.

So, I have a box of yarn I don't need and don't particularly like.

Along with enough yarn to make two blankets, the box contained the beginning of a brown/orange afghan.  Normally, I pull apart half-started hand-me-down yarn and make something of my own out of it.

So, I have a box of yarn I didn't need, didn't like, with a started project I'll have to pull apart.
Three strikes against it.
Yet, here it is.
With me.

But, before I start pulling, it speaks to me.

"Someone's grandma started this."
 
Years ago during a phone conversaton with Mom, she told me a little old lady from my hometown had died.  She was found in her rocking chair with an unfinished crochet project in her hands.  Just fell asleep watching TV and crocheting and... then she was gone.
Mom told me how the woman's daughters didn't know what to do with the yarn.  They thought it a shame her project would never be finished.  It was probably going to be a gift for a granddaughter.  I offered to take a look at it and take care of it for the family, but nothing ever came of it.  I imagine someone from town carefully shouldered that responsibility.

So...
I imagined a daughter or grand-daughter packing this box of brown and orange yarn, wondering what would become of her loved one's project, pondering how many things might be left undone in her own life when she is called to go.
After inspecting the pattern, I quickly determined I could pick it up and finish this afghan.
In fact, I worked a couple rounds right away just to prove I could.

So, Karma, I plan to complete this unknown woman's afghan which you have presented to me.  When it is done, I will donate it to Project Linus or perhaps to the local senior center.

And Karma, I trust you to somehow... someday... return this woman's blanket to her family.
I have a feeling you meant it to be.


Don't let me down.
~Roses

6 comments:

Andy said...

Cool story, Roses. I've read your work long enough to know that things do speak to you.

I remember your Mom's sweater. Something tells me that afghan will somehow make it back home.

Dani said...

When I was six and just able to spell my own name I thought I'd sign my name on every dollar I got to see if it ever came back to me (This is illegal but I was six and didn't know that). When I was in my late teens and working at a cafe guess what someone used to pay one day? Yep one of my dollars. I didn't get to keep it because it belonged to the place I worked but it made me so happy to see it.

My point is yeah the universe does that. The afghan will make it back to the family but just maybe not the way you'd expect.

Actually I've got another story like that that ends with Dave and I getting married but that's much longer. Though Dave's way better than a dollar and I did get to keep him.

Oblivious Beast said...

Go Project Linus!

One of the first quilts I ever made was for them.

Priscilla said...

I just bought an ginormous bag of clothes at a yard sale for $5!

Hideous clothing but cool fabric. Will be turning it into something, sometime before I die.

Hopefully

P

Thumper said...

Very cool. And that's why you should always listen to your gut. It made you buy the yarn for a reason...

Bou said...

I am addicted to fabric as you are addicted to yarn. There are worse things to be addicted to. I think...