A stash was born.....

A few weeks ago, just before the holidays actually, I posted a little tidbit at the bottom of the ole blog here about my friend, Lisa, and the fact that she lost her home in a fire. I figured since I was going to be sending her oodles of yarn and fiber I might ask if anyone else had anything they'd like to pass along....thinking maybe a few of you would send the errant sock yarn skein that you once loved but have never found the muse to knit up, the extra pair of needles, you know what I mean. I am so sorry I underestimated ya'll!

Comfort, you see, is my form of combat. I believe it is virtually useless to 'advise' someone in a tough situation (if not out rightly rude, presumptuous, and slightly arrogant but you know I'm a former southerner - Texan even - and we take anti-rude to a whole new level). We begin our instruction on not being rude sometime after our religious instruction and well before kindergarten and it is pretty much the standard theme of our being allowed to live and be female at the same time until we run away from leave home. Besides, who wants to know what you think when their life is falling apart? Some people, like two dear friends of mine, speak their love and comfort by making savory foods and nurturing those that are in need via a sublime eating experience. Me? I speak yarn love and yarn love was just what I wanted to send Lisa's way....preferably lots of it. Which is what happened when we lugged the 30+ lb. box of yarns, fiber, books, notions etc. to the post office and damn near had a heart attack when we were told the cost of shipping.

So, in the combat dept. - uh, it is very simple - we came, we conquered, we left yarn for the long road back to getting their lives back to normal. Where to begin...hmmm. Susan sent the sweetest package complete with a slew of needles, notions, yarns, sock book and lots of love for the whole family. Loribird amazed me with her generous box filled with hand-dyed sock yarns and handspun yarn (and she spins some really soft and yummy stuff!) and was helped by a friend (thanks, Sarah!). Somewhere in all of this, a gentle woman firefighter I know and love surfaced (as she is apt to do whenever there is a chance to give - cuz she's an awesome person) and parted with some fancy needles that are a testament to her generosity. For a very shameful moment, I found myself drooling over the addi needles until I had the wits to slap myself and say, "damn, this woman has lost everything and you're envying her needles!". Trust me, I was not gentle with myself. And said needles will be loved and treasured by their recipient. Kimberly at Cat Mountain Fibers wooed my family by sending us the most splendid Tom Bombadil (Lord of the Rings if you're not a Tolkien devotee like we are)card and a whole slew of fibers, yarns, and yummy felting goodies that I know Lisa will enjoy greatly. Oh, and Kim - I am sorry that you read the post about the fire whilst away on Christmas vacation. I'm even sorrier because I know you had space heaters keeping your pipes from freezing while you were away and I think I may have to pay for removing some of the wrinkles I've caused you with angst and freaky worry at what you'd return to. Kisses, hugs, and lots of sloppy gratitude for you! Kayten was a treasure and sent a whole box of fibers and yarns in addition to a Bosworth Spindle - whoo hoo! Pam the Yarn Goddess blew my socks off but then made sure Lisa won't need to worry about sock yarns for a while. Oodles of thanks to you! Then, there is Miranda - another of those lovely souls that hasn't failed to donate something pretty much every time I've asked for it. This time, however, she nearly made me faint when hubster brought in a gigantic box full of a basket packed with yarn, coffee and chocolate for both Lisa and Me (so you know I've made her the things godmother cuz I'm that easy to win over for good!) The Loopy Ewe heard about us through the grapevine and sent some sock yarn as well and Dez sent us goodies, too. If I've left anyone out - please don't hate me, just leave a comment or something and I'll fix it asap.

All told, I stopped counting at over 40 ish balls of sock yarn. A large basket of all types of other yarns - at least a couple of sweater's worth of matching yarns, many many sets of great needles - sock and otherwise - chocolate from more than one person (which has restored my faith in the goodness of this cruddy ole world), cards, and an oozing box of love for this magnificent person whom I feel honored to know and love. Thanks seems like a dorky thing to say at this point but - really - thank you all so much! You can't possibly know how appreciated this effort is. Particularly because there seems to be more chaos churning in the pot for my darling friend - complete with tornadoes destroying houses of relatives they were staying with, moving from a rural home to a very urban area, losing every picture, every memento, every evidence of the life they are, at least for now, having to leave behind. We did something really beautiful. I know that the yarn and stuffs won't make it all better - but we joined hands, grabbed skeins, and said 'we love you' in a way that will make this knitting mama feel warm inside for many days to come.


** edited after I realized I said something stupid ** Sometimes I say things without realizing what others might think they mean. I was glad to see the gargantuant box of yarn love and thrilled to cover the shipping because the gargantuance kinda symbolizes just how good ya'll are. That's why I'll be devastated if ya'll feel bad about shipping costs. I purposefully have kept Lisa's location vague because that is how we stay safe in an insane world. Feel good about yourselves! That's what I meant to say.....