There Be Pirates About!

My Pirate Socks are done!

Words can not completely express what these socks mean to me. But I will try for these are more than just beautiful, comfy socks.

They began in an unassuming brown package I received for my birthday. It was a sweet thoughtful birthday surprise. An unexpected friendship that has brightened my life. Part of the package contained two exquisite skeins of Lorna's Laces Black Purl yarn. As much as I love Knitpicks sock yarn, and I'll never say a word against it, this yarn is in an entirely different class all by itself. A true Pirate treasure for my birthday.

When I found out my dear friend Katrina had bought herself the same yarn when she purchased my present I became obsessed with the idea of knitting our yarn together. Though miles may separate us, knitting the same pattern with the same yarn at the same time could be glorious fun. Our own private knit-a-long. Fortunately Katrina liked the idea as well.

But life came along as life always does. We were both participants in Sock Wars, I was moving across the country, She has three busy children as well, the holidays loomed over us. Our Knit-a-long remained a wisp of an idea. And Katrina's brother died.

Things changed after that. Katrina's life changed after that. And our friendship gained a new bond. A sad bond. One forged in shared grief. Sometimes I think bonds created by tears are stronger than those created by laughter. But I would never have wished this in either of our lives.

After the hustle and busy bustle of the holidays we decided to hold our knit-a-long. But now it had more meaning. We were knitting to heal our grief and our pain. We were making a conscious choice to have a bit of light fun. To smile. To create something beautiful for ourselves. To share happiness with a friend. To not let our dark feelings be the pervasive feeling in our lives.

Silly as it may sound, it helped. It's a subtle shift of thought. A subtle shift of feeling. I'm still sad. I still miss my Mom. I miss her more it seems with each passing day. Time does not seem to be healing this wound. Time is pouring salt in the fact that my beautiful Mother is gone. But laughter helps, and smiles, and tender hugs from small chubby arms, and sweet sloppy kisses. And sharing some silly fun with a dear friend? It helps. Creating a tangible thing of beauty to signify this change of being helps.

And oh how these socks are tangible beauty. Katrina has finished her first sock. But in true Pirate form, I have left the fallen behind, abandoned for dead and finished my socks.

There's a reason these socks are called "Walking Away Socks."