The timing has an element of the pre-ordained.
"I have something for you," I was told at masons on Sunday. This could be anything but sitting on a bench were two bags. "It's Marion's knitting."
Ah.
As I said, it's like the timing has been having a laugh. Marion passed away a year ago on Thursday.
There is a story to this knitting. Marion was a kindly soul. On her property was a granny flat, in which a woman named Kate lived with her partner. As Marion was declining, Kate was incredibly generous with her time and energy looking after Marion, taking care of her dog when she was in hospital and providing assistance in many ways. She's been Marion's tenant for a number of years. We, who knew Marion, were grateful in the knowledge that there was somebody keeping an eye on her. Kate also adopted Marion's dog when she passed - a most beautiful thing.
Anyway, soon after she died, one of the masons said that there was a knitting project Marion was working on for Kate. It was nearly finished. Would anybody know somebody who might be able to finish this off.
I put up my hand. I'm a gun knitter. Okay, maybe not fair isle and colour workings, but I'm great with straight forward patterns, easy cables. I'm a neat, tidy knitter, able to do some more intermediate stuff. I remember my mother asking me to finish off a top she'd made - needed some sleeves sunk. I said I'd do it - she passed it over with the directions to not bugger it up. Two hours later, the top was returned, finished, ends sewn in and to my mother's exacting standards. (Note, Mum was having trouble with this manouevre, I think it was a matter of tools - nothing that a circular needled couldn't sort. )
Regardless, I looked in the bags.
They smelled strongly of unwashed dog.
In one, there were a couple of complete balls of acrylic yarn. Knitter's rule number one - never refuse any yarn. You'll find something to do with it.
In the second bag, the jumper, some extra wool, the pattern and a number of miscellaneous knitting needles.
To my slight surprise, the jumper was a beautifully rendered cobalt blue cable knit in a fluffy 5 ply. A complicated cable knit - something I'd need time and patience to do. The garment was all sewn up, ready to go, with the neckline half off double-sided needles.
Marion had had cataracts - her work is lovely. How she did this with failing eyesight, I will never know.
So, I am now the custodian of this unfinished jumper.
I've had a look at what's to be done. I've managed to tack up the neckline, removing the double-sided needles (never liked using them) picking up the dropped stitches and put the neckline onto a similar sized circular needle. From here, I'll finish the last few rows of the neckline and do any finishing required.
A good spray of Febreeze has sorted out the dog smell, which I'm sure has come from it staying with Marion's executor, who lives in the countryside with a rather boisterous Border Collie named Max.
Anyway, I feel quite honoured to be finishing this jumper. It won't take long. As Marion's house is being sold next month and Kate will be looking for a new home, this small action of completing this garment feels right.
I hope Marion thinks that I've completed it to her standards. It really is a lovely jumper. I'm in awe of the work she's done. In all, this is a very masonic task which has to be done. Alpha and Omega, Order Ab Chao and all that. Despite the fact it's taken a year to get me this knitting, it will be sent to it's rightful place, finished, in order, and smelling a lot better than when I received it.
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