A surprise not knitted by me.

 

I arrived home early Friday afternoon, after coffee with a keen gardening friend, feeling a bit low because health issues are making gardening difficult for her. It's a common enough story amongst our peers, and she will adapt. It's still sad.

In my letterbox were two parcels. One I was expecting but the other was mysterious. To my astonishment it was a shawl, knitted by a US friend - for me! 

It is beautiful. The subtle blend of colours, the softness of the yarn, the precision of the knitting, the size and drape - a winning combination.

It's hard to display shawls. The best I have found is to use a large, open safety pin to gently pin them to the fly screen to get the light behind them. This at least gives a sense of size and shape.

Close up, it shows the pattern - which reminds me of bees, hives and honey. The gold yarn is finer and shinier that the surrounding yarn when you look closely.

The colours change against different fabrics and different angles of light. Here is looks dark brown, but it is also grey and purple

A perceptive friend hit the nail on the head when she said it reminds her of heather.

The top edge has a soft, almost woven feel to it. 

It shimmers when the light catches it.

I wrapped the shawl around myself immediately. I happened to be wearing a deep purple jumper and a necklace of wood and metal. Both seemed to be just waiting for the shawl.

I spent the afternoon, wrapped in love and luxury, giving thanks for the many threads of friendship that hold us together across oceans, time and troubles. 

Thank you Melody. So grateful.