Shared Happiness

Recently I made a beret and shawl for my aunt. I didn't blog them, because I didn't want to spoil the surprise. (She knew she was getting a hat, but didn't know details, or about the shawl.)

Last week, I made it to the post office (yay me!) to mail the parcel.


I received such a lovely e-mail thank-you from my aunt, I had to share.

I got your parcel last night, and I don't know where to start...! Originally of course I couldn't figure out why it was so much bigger and heavier than I'd expected, and then when I opened it -- oh, my! pinky-purple things spilling out all over...! Riches! I love the colour of the hat, and the intricate pattern is beeauuutiful! I've never had a slouchy hat, so I'm not sure exactly how it's meant to be worn, so I've been enjoying experimenting. I think it may actually be a little on the big side, but so far I've found multi options for draping it over various perspectives of my head, rolling up the rim, as it were, etc, etc. Didn't have it in time to try it out in the wind yesterday afternoon, but I expect there will be days! Until then I have it on my table so I can admire it every time I go by...

And I'm delighted with the extra bonus hug (is that the same thing I've heard referred to as a "shrug"?) I've been using it as a shawl sitting here in my chair; very convenient for throwing on and off with hot flashes - tamoxifen, don'cha know - so I get to gloat over it incessantly. The colour is a perfect match in my living room for indoor use -- and I haven't even seen it yet in sunlight. The jury's still out on the pearls, although I suspect they'll come off in the end; too much clatter against furniture and computers as I fling it about with gay abandon. Not so the word beads; they took me by surprise and got into a chink, and I was really moved. Need all the positive affirmations I can get, so those stay! All those wonderful soft yarns - I should have known to trust your expertise in these matters...!

Umm, do I need to talk to you about being maybe a teensy bit compulsive about some things? That has to be the most detailed - not to say most beautifully hand lettered! - parcel accompaniment I've received in many a day. (But where do you get such a sparkly-but-not-sparkly pen?) And I'm still trying to figure out how you manufactured the box - I'm somewhat of a connoisseur of such things, so it came to the right place! It looks turned inside out, but you can't turn cardboard boxes inside out, and surely you didn't glue the flap? I like to make custom fit cardboard boxes for things, but they tend to be a little more, primitive, shall we say...

All this is leading up to just, thank you. I can't remember when I've felt so thoroughly gifted, and it's so affirming. My philosophy on gifts and favours is those you can't return you pass on, and I have some faith that things work out in the end. Right now the universe owes you big time. Thanks so much for your generosity and thoughtfulness - I will be reminded of you very often!

Hugs back

Squee! I'm so glad she likes everything! I was a bit worried that I hadn't managed to find the right colour purple. (From the sounds of things, even if I didn't get exactly what she had in mind, I did well enough.)



I tested out the beret before mailing it.

I love the yarn (AslanTrends Royal Alpaca) and result so much, I bought some more (in forest green) to make one for myself. :) Ravelry link.

The shawl is the basic Prayer Shawl pattern (mine is a "knitted hug", since I'm an atheist), K3P3, where you knit the purls and purl the knits. (It produces something subtly different than straight garter stitch.) The knitted tassles were something I did off the top of my head. Ravelry link.



I like making people happy. :)