Lala brought something home from work for me yesterday.
A blanket. Made for me by readers who love me. Started for me when Mom died.
It's one of the most perfect, gorgeous presents I've ever received. I am completely undone by it. (Look, above, see how (formerly) no-blog Rachel and Dani made identical trees of life? They're on either side of Lyssa's heart, which is below Celia's winged hearts, which is flanked by Jove's stripes. Wait. Let me take a minute. I just really looked at Celia's. It's four hearts, with the winged one above. Dad, me and my sisters each have a heart below. That just broke my heart in the good way.)
I could go on and on, but my fingers would break, looking up the linkages. Trust me that there are stripes, and hearts, and a turtle, and Digit's paws. There is a lovely square Michelle made on the first anniversary of her mother's death. There is lace inspired by something I made once, and five squares, one for each of Mom's family, knit in my small hometown by someone I've never met.
Darling, talented Krista of KnitDelaware was the drive behind this. I can't imagine the hours she put into sewing these all together, and she did a gorgeous job. I love the black — nothing else would have tied all these squares together.
Please don't feel badly if you didn't know about this blanket. I think what put me over the edge last night as I touched every square was how many people's names I didn't recognize right off the bat. They weren't all the usual suspects. Krista just emailed a random sampling of commenters, asking if they'd like to contribute, and she said the envelopes came flying in. This was amazing to me. And so many of them came with cards, and notes, little descriptions of which square was whose (which wasn't necessary: Krista did such a lovely job with the square map she sent along with it, but I love the descriptions sent — colors, yarn samples, sketches, reasons why the knitter chose the yarn she did).
It is one of my most prized possessions. It will be years before a cat will be allowed to settle on it. If ever. One tried, earlier. No way. Miss Idaho eyed it covetously. No. It is on my reading chair in my writing room, and I draped it over my lap this morning as I wrote.
I have never touched anything that was made with more love. I am verklempt.
Awww…now you have me all teary, and here I am at work and about to go into a meeting.
Yay Krista! She did an awesome job.
Oh, I’m so glad you got it! Krista never asked for help sewing it up, and it was such a daunting task. Hope you and Lala get lots of years cuddled beneath it!
That is beyond wonderful. Blog friends are awesome friends.
Even better than a virtual hug!
That is so awesome. I can’t imagine a more awesome gift. And you totally deserve it!
Oh! I’m overwhelmed by the love that made this blanket! I can’t imagine how you must feel being able to touch it. What a beautiful tribute!
we’ve all been waiting eagerly to see it here!! (handspun, saffron dyed, Blue Faced Leicester, Viennese Lace)
It’s a sad coincidence that between the time I knit my square and the time you got this, my mom unexpectedly passed due to complications from breast cancer.
If it can bring you comfort and evoke fond memories or if it can warm you and absorb your tears then it’s done its job.
Peace.
You deserve every bit of the love that went into that.
Was my pleasure to be a part of the project. I am so happy to hear it got to you and so glad you like it!! My square is the one made of custom green-and-purple silk/wool yarn. Its one in the middle. Its not a fancy stitch pattern like some of the others, but every stitch was knit with your peace of heart in mind.
love
Emily
Oh that is soooo cool! I wish I had known about it. Lucky lucky Rachael.
You’re very welcome. So glad I could be a part of it.
That’s so beautiful! Love formed of yarn.
What a beautiful, amazing, utterly perfect gift of/for/by/etc. etc. love!
Y’all are amazing!
So happy you got this–if I’d known I’d have contributed! You give a lot of people a lot of fun and laughter as well as empathy with your posts–you totally deserve this.
That’s just wonderful. You are certainly loved over there, and rightly so. (Celia rocks.)
I am so glad it’s there and giving you virtual hugs from all of us. We couldn’t wait to see what it looked like put together, since we all only knew what our squares were like, pretty much, other than Krista.>>
It *was* made with love. It shows, eh? I know it will have brought on happy-sad tears to receive, but it will wrap you up and enfold you in love, just like all the IRL people (and furry people) who love you do.
<<
That is so cool and a testament to how much you have touched others with your blog.
How stunning. What a remarkable gift.
Yea Krista! She did an amazing job 🙂
I sadly had forgotten about sending her my square but I’m so happy that she did all this work for you!
What a beautiful present, coming from the heart! You only have to touch and see it and you can feel the love.
Yay! It is so nice to see it finally finished and at home.
It turned out beautifully! Krista did a great job and your photographs are wonderful. It is so nice to see it all together. Enjoy it and take comfort when you wrap yourself up in it.
Awww – I’m all choked up. That’s one of the nicest things I’ve ever seen. I’m sorry that I didn’t know about it. Good for Lala and the whole gang to engineer this amazing surprise for you. *HUGS* May it warm you heart and soul.
Thanks to Krista for painstakingly taking all our little offerings and making them into a whole that is more than the sum of its parts. Thanks to her as well for allowing us to show you that we, your readers, care about you. It’s a big, warm, fuzzy group hug.
I am so glad you like it! Thanks especially to Lala, who was on board for this right away, and keeps a darn good secret! Have a great day!
Woohoo! It got there! And I see my square and everything.
Nice work Krista, Lala and everyone. It came together really well.
It was a joy to knit the square while thinking about you and hoping to give you some comfort. Krista did an awesome job!!
YAY! So glad to see it completed and that it did its job. It brought a surge of love and support. So glad to have been able to participate in such a mass knit hug
::Hugs::
~A
Wow so beautiful! And you deserve every square. I only wish I could have knit one for you!
What a beautiful gesture. I wish I could have taken part–but I don’t comment on anyone’s blog very often. I hope it brings you comfort.
A handmade hug – how appropriate!! Looks and probably feels amazing knowing all the love that went into it.
xoxoxo
Oh, its lovely. Wish I would’ve known about it too!
You’re a very lucky lady Miss Rachel.
Hey R–if anyone deserved a hug from so many friends, it’s you.
I’m so glad it got there. Thank you to Krista for sewing all of our squares up…I know that wasn’t an easy task.
You totally deserve the love Rachael.
Wow. That’s absolutely beautiful and wondrously wonderful a thing for everybody to have done.
Having been the recent recipient of one of these, I can say with all sincerity, are they not the COOLEST?!
I’m pretty sure having that blanket draped over you while you wrote today must have been giving you some good writing mojo. You got tons written today, didn’t you?
Very impressive.
Aw–verklempt over here, too.
Oh, it is so, so beautiful.
How wonderful – I am amazed again by the love of knitters. A very powerful force indeed.
What a lovely, wonderful and kind thing to do. It’s wonderful. 🙂
By far one of the very sweetest gestures I have witnessed. Be comforted always…..
I am so glad that you are warmed by the blanket. And I too think it is amazing that two of us picked just the same square.
Thank you Krista for doing such an awesome job putting it together. I have put together 4 of these in my lifetime, two this year and I know how much work they are. You’re a superstar!
I hope that it brings you some comfort Rachael, like a big hug from all of us.
earlier this year i asked for squares for a friend’s father (concateknit) and it was amazing how many i received (i think you sent me a square in fact). more than enough for a couple of blankets.
i wish i could have contributed to this one, but even without a square from me, this blanket is wonderful. 😉
Consider this my virtual square, because I am so sad that I couldn’t participate, but so happy that you got such a show of support from your readers.
Add Daddy tears to the flow.
Wow.
Dad
I’m so glad it got there. I’m glad you like it too.
I would like to add my voice to the thanks for Krista. It felt really nice to be able to add my needles to the fray. And if we were waiting on me to put that gorgeous blanket together… well, we’d still be waiting.
I am so happy you were given this gift. It’s gorgeous. I’m only a little sad I wasn’t aware it was happening, I would have knit for you too. The posts you have written commemerating your Mother and the bond you had were so very touching and heartfelt.
Add me to the list of people who love you but weren’t aware of the project to wrap you in that love.
As I write this, I’m thinking that if everyone who loves you were able to add to a blanket the blanket would be as long as the one Tita makes in “Like Water for Chocolate.”
Big Hug!
Beautiful. I’ve been following your blog for a while now…since digit’s return i think…i don’t think i’d ever commented, so i wouldn’t have known about the blankie, but i would have LOVED to send a square. These are the kinds of things that make you love the interswebs!
This is so beautiful and perfect.
oh I am so glad you finally have it! Krista was amazing to get it all together, and I am so thankful I got to be part of it. You are loved and admired by so many of us who’ve never met you but feel like we know you. It was a privilege to be able to do something for you.
Krista did a marvelous job of putting all the squares together. She managed to work in all 3 of mine, too! Being new to spinning I wanted to make sure you got some of my handspun.
Lots and lots of love is definitely worked into this blanket from it’s inception to it’s completion.
What an awesome gift and precious keepsake.
S
The blanket is so beautiful.Hugs Darcy
So glad you got this in the end!!!! 😀 I loved being part of this project (lace pattern from Adriann, pink baby alpaca) and have got tears in my eyes now reading your post and going through the comments (which is quite unfortunate since I’m reading this at work and look rather stupid – hope no one comes in!).
Thanks to Krista for organising it and everybody else for all their love. Hope it’ll bring you a little comfort – much love, Anna xx
How wonderful!
I am so happy for you. What a wonderful gift.
P.S. My sister left me a message last weekend about some gal on Ravelry whose name is Knit-a-gogo or something and has a girlfriend named Lara… LOL!
P.P.S. and she says you have the perfect body, the one she always wanted. Isn’t that sweet?