Last Spring I was working on a Prayer Blanket for my Mom (Details and pattern: Technique Thursday- A Prayer Shawl for My Mom). It ended up an opportunity more for me to pray for her during a time when she was in a home with Alzheimer's and dying. Too far away for me to visit. Knitting and praying were my solace. Mostly I prayed she'd pass away, gently and soon. And she did. So my blanket didn't get finished and it had played its part, but it was too hard to work on last year.
Now this year I needed it's huge #15 wooden needles for a new shawl and every day I wanted to knit on my new shawl, I made sure I knit on the blanket too. It no longer hurt and I decided to finish up the yarn I had and make it larger than I would of. It's beautiful and I guess a success since it hasn't made it off my teen's bed. I thought it'd look nice on the couch. which is where I just put it. Until I get a blanket made for my daughter it's going to keep disappearing. (Details on my new shawl I'm knitting- Yarns - A Shawl for Colder Winds).
I'm still reading Ken Follet's Century Trilogy and I'm into book 2 now - Winter of the World. I've been immersed in the Spanish Civil War which I haven't studied before. I love having the perspective of familiar characters (now we're reading about the next generation from Book One); it makes it come alive more. Before reading this I don't think I really had made a real distinction about differences between Fascists and Communists besides the basic theory that they are on the opposite sides of the political spectrum. Played out in the drama of the book you see more clearly how that influenced politics prior to World War Two. The Fascists in Germany supported the Conservative rebels in Spain that were led by Franco. He eventually would become the Spanish dictator who would rule for 36 years. The Socialists and Communists at that point tried to support the Republican government, they failed. There was much international support for the government among people who went to fight for Democracy, hoping to hold back Fascism in Europe. "On the left, including labor unions, students and intellectuals, the war represented a necessary battle to stop the spread of fascism."(Wiki) A half a million died in the effort and Hitler supplying the Rebels and testing his aerial warfare helped bring that about.
My Mom
I had a project similar to your prayer shawl. I knit a scarf while I sat with my Mom during the last ten days of her life but left it on the needles. It was a long time before I could bind it off and another year before I wore it. Then something changed and the scarf became a comfort. I'm glad your shawl is finished too.
ReplyDeleteI deliberately made things for friends while in the same boat of watching and waiting; knowing that I wouldn't want to see the memories walking around my house, and I'm so glad I did. I can see how it would be so hard to pick that blanket back up again, and I'm so glad you did, because it's beautiful and has lots of comfort still to give!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I have the patience for those long books, but you are tempting me. I have been more interested in WWI and the inter-war period as I've gotten older.
ReplyDeleteLovely shawls!