My mom taught me to knit. I’m not even sure when or how she learned to knit herself, but she taught me when I was 7 or 8. She wasn’t a terribly confident knitter, but she turned out some really wonderful things. A little red cardigan with cables that I wore throughout childhood (and still have and hold dear). Cabled ear-warmers that tied under our chins for my sister and I. Lots of slippers with pompoms. Chevron afghans.
When I got back into knitting in a big way in the early 2000s, my mom decided to start knitting again, too. We used to enjoy visiting yarn shops together, and we went to the West Michigan Fiber Festival together every year. She knit a lot of socks. Dishcloths (she was the Queen of Dishcloths). She was really big on the Clapotis pattern (remember that one?) and knit several of them for friends. She was a regular knitter in her church’s Prayer Shawl ministry.
When my mom died in 2016, I cleared out all of her things . . . including her knitting stash (which was a very manageable one, by the way) (goals). I kept some of her knitting notions and all of her dishcloth yarns for myself, but I gave most everything else to her church knitting group for their Prayer Shawls (she would have like that).
You know what else I found? These squares . . .
There are nine of them. I remember her knitting them . . . although I don’t recall what her “vision” for them was, exactly. I know we bought the yarn together – for mittens that she was going to felt. But at some point, she must have decided to knit squares instead. (I didn’t find the pattern or any extra yarn, by the way.)
I kept the squares. Every once in a while, I take them out and line them up and look at them, remembering. And thinking about my mom. Then I pack them away again. I love having them, y’know?
And then . . . on Wednesday morning I got a text from my son, Brian. He had been listening to NPR on his way to work and heard this story about an organization called Loose Ends and thought I’d want to know about it. Maybe some of you are already familiar with Loose Ends, but I had never heard of the project before. I got kind of tingly when I read Brian’s text and followed the link. Loose Ends . . . is a kind of “matchmaking” organization. They match volunteer “finishers” with folks who are holding “loose ends” — or projects that a loved one left behind – unfinished – when they died.
Here is little blurb from the Loose Ends website . . . about what they do and how important their work is . . .
Handmade items are gestures of love. The time, expense, and skill that go into making them are impossible to quantify. When you wear something made special for you, it feels good — you were thoughtfully considered with each stitch. When a maker dies mid-project, this tangible, handmade expression of love could get lost, donated away, or thrown out. Or, it can be finished as intended and given back to be cherished.
You can read all the details about how Loose Ends works and how you can help if you’re interested. (They cover the gamut of the fiber arts — knitting, crochet, sewing, embroidery, needlepoint, ALL of it.) (And there are many ways to help – even if you’re not interested in actually “finishing” a project for someone else.)
I’m not ready to be a volunteer “finisher” for Loose Ends yet (although I will find other ways to support the organization). BUT. I am newly inspired to “finish” my mom’s “loose ends.”
I’m going to find a way to finish my mom’s squares . . . by turning them into two pillows. One for me, and one for my sister. I know my mom would like that.
Sometimes HOPE . . . is just tying up loose ends.
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I wish you a lovely weekend . . . full of hope.
(Keep looking.)
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PS . . . I’m doing a little minor “housekeeping” here on the blog. Nothing major. Just a little fresh paint. You may notice things look a little different from time to time over the next couple of weeks. Don’t be alarmed.
What an inspirational organization! And I love the pillow idea, Kym! XOXO
I read the story about Loose Ends and spent some time on their website reading hopeful stories about completed items and what they meant. Like you, I don’t know that I am ready to be a finisher (but I did have a look at their detailed form). Finishing your mom’s squares into two pillows is a wonderful idea, and I love those hopeful colors!
The pillows seem like a perfect way to finish your Mom’s squares…and I love that there is enough for you and your sister. Loose Ends sounds like a fabulous organization (wish I had known about them several years ago before I donated/got rid of some of my Mom’s and Grandmother’s unfinished projects).
Making pillows will be a lovely thing to do with your Mom’s squares. I can’t wait to see them as pillows.
There is a similar programs for stitched unfinished projects ……….I think it is called Ghost Stitchers.
What a wonderful idea! I love being able to save both unfinished projects and old, worn handmade items.
I am making pillows out of a quilt my grandmother made for my parents for their wedding. The quilt was in bad shape, rotted and torn in many places. I was able to save four of the Dresden Plate squares that I will make into pillows for me and my sister.
Such a lovely idea to make two pillows. I gave most of my mom’s yarn and tools to my nephew which was just learning to knit. Now he is designing beautiful things and I know mom would have been happy to see him using her tools.
This story is lovely, and loving. My first thought was lap blanket, but two pillows for her daughters is brilliant!
I love the idea of pillows for you & your sister!
Sue, a woman in the knitting group I used to attend, finished several projects that her mom had in progress for various grandchildren when she died. Even more than that, since she lived with her mom, who was… oh, let’s say “not as sharp” as she once was, Sue would rip & re-do a lot of the knitting her mom did toward the end to fix mistakes. We’re talking large afghans of the Pittsburgh Steeler variety — lots of black yarn that would be challenging for ANY knitter!
I actually have heard of this group before, and I think what they are doing is simply wonderful! And I love that learning about them has inspired you to finish up a project of your mother’s. I think the resulting pillows are going to be treasured objects for you and your sister.
Your post makes me cry. (Easy these days.) (But it probably would’ve anyway.)
I’m so glad you found your mom’s squares…and the serendipity of the NPR story, and your thoughtful son for sharing it with you… What special pillows those will be — and what a wonderful idea, to share with your sister. (Wouldn’t that make every mother proud!? Siblings sharing. ♥)
My dad is not well, and this idea of loose ends has been eating away at me lately. (Not in the making way –he’s a creative guy, but not with his hands. Just the loose ends of life and stories and love.
So much beauty here, Kym. It brings joy — and hope.
I read that story on NPR the other day, too, and I think it’s wonderful. Years ago when my friend Debbie, who was also in my very small quilt group, was killed in a motorcycle accident the 5 of us who were left got together and finished the quilt she was working on at the time of her death. It was HARD to do and we shed a lot of tears but it was also good to do and I know we all experienced a great deal of healing during the process. Good for your for being inspired to find a way to use those squares that your mom knit.
Pillows would be perfect use of the squares.
Making your Mom’s squares into two pillows is a wonderful lovely idea. I finished up two of my Mom’s quilting projects. I love having them. My sister and I divided up her cross-stitch and quilting notions and made little sewing kits for each granddaughter. These things are such treasures.
Oh that sounds like a wonderful idea Kym! I wish Loose Ends had been around when my MIL died in the ‘80s. She loved becoming proficient in a variety of needlework skills and was halfway through her latest project – an embroidered pillow using the new-to-her candlewicking technique when she died. We never did get around to finding another candlewicker to finish it for her. And I have been wistful about it ever since. My own mother, who also taught me to knit at age 12, made four knitted afghans for us, three of which are still around and much loved and used. You say your mom was not a confident knitter. But she made you a Cabled Cardigan. That sounds confident enough to me! (Unlike you, by the time I took up knitting again, my mom was quickly losing her health, so we never had the opportunity to “graduate” together from dime store acrylic to LYS luxury. Another wistful needlework regret…Nevertheless, Red Heart blankets wear like IRON, I tell you!)
I just discovered Loose Ends about an hour ago! M friend Colleen was gifted a half-done sweater several years ago by a widower fiend of her husband. I sent her a link to the group — hope she takes advantage of it.