05 November 2006

New socks, new hat, no hair

So, yesterday, my mother and I went over to my Aunt Diane's house. I had finished her Spey Valley socks (no picture, because Mom's camera batteries were dead, and I'd forgotten to bring mine). This was especially fun because the day after we'd last visited, Aunt Diane called my mom and admired the handknit socks I'd been wearing again, and asked my mother if she thought I'd make my aunt a pair of socks, if my aunt bought the yarn.

Of course I'd already bought my Lorna's Laces in Desert Flower (the only time Aunt Diane ever got to travel was to Arizona, and she loved the colors of everything she'd never seen before) and cast on for socks. So bringing them over yesterday was a special treat.

What was hard was that when we called ahead and asked if she'd be home, she asked my mom to bring her clippers and shave her head. The chemo is making her hair fall out all in patches, and she thought it would have to be better if her scalp were just bare.

It was hard. It was hard seeing her with her hair all patchy, and it was hard seeing her afterwards, looking like an extra in a Holocaust film, with her sunken eyes and her tired hands, and her bare scalp. But Mom had made her a pretty hat to wear, and she loved that, and she loved the socks. She had been cold all week, put on her socks, and smiled. "They're so soft," she said, "And so warm."

As a knitter and a niece, that was one of the finer moments I've had lately. So I wanted to share, even if I didn't have any pictures.

4 comments:

AlisonH said...

I can just imagine how it felt to be her, putting those lovely socks and that hat on. Knowing all the love that went into making it, a tangible reminder of strength to help keep her going.

I can really just see it. Because, as I type, I am wearing my Kristine socks myself.

Tammy said...

Oh Kristine, how sweet!! I am sitting here with the tears in the eyes at this. I have a friend who just recently finished chemo and radiation. She finally had her head shaved as well. She said it looked like she was really sick with the patchy hair. I also lost my grandma last week, so the emotions are raw right now.

I haven't gotten to knit with Lorna Laces yet, though I do have some in the stash that I got for a swap some time ago.

Hey, I'd like to know how you were able to have people leave their email address. I can't do that that I am aware of on my blogger site, unless they leave it in the comment. It's frustrating to not be able to go back and respond personally to them!!

Kristine said...

Heya, Tammy,

I misspoke. People can't enter an email, but blogger will let them leave behind a website or something, so that if they're not blogger people, I can still figure out who they ARE, as opposed to LJ, where if they aren't an LJ user, and they don't type their name in the comments, then they're just anonymous. Miss AlisonH had some troubles with that. >.> lol.

Kristine said...

Alison, way to make me blush. :)