Friday, January 25, 2008

A Wing and a Prayer

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you probably remember the saga of Icarus (FO pics here) the wedding shawl. If you haven't, you can read about it here, here, here, here, here (my personal favorite), and here. I told you it was a saga. Or, if you just want the short version, Icarus was my first (and so far my last) lace shawl. I made it as a wedding shawl for a childhood friend, and the project was fraught with yarn breakage, dropped stitches, 500+ stitch rows, and running out of yarn just rows from the end, days before I was originally supposed to give it to her. And then, the bridal shower was put off for three months, so Icarus has been living in a ziploc bag in my yarn closet since I finished it, amid minor hysteria and possible drunkenness, in October. This, therefore, is a momentous occasion:

This is Icarus, getting wrapped to go to its new home tomorrow. There is a bridal shower tomorrow in Saugus, about three hours from my home. There will also be another in town in February, but--naturally, considering the nature of this entire experience--it will be held on the one and only Saturday of the entire year when I will be away on vacation with my family. So tomorrow, I will be driving the six hours round trip to attend the Saugus shower--through a raging rainstorm, if the weather channel is to be believed.

Getting Icarus wrapped is almost like packing to go to the hospital to deliver a baby. After the many long months of planning and work and surprises and small tragedies, I'm just ready to get it over with. I've been asked how I can bear to give it up, and whether my friend will appreciate it.

I can bear to give it up, because it was never mine in the first place. From the moment of its conception, Icarus was hers. I was just taking care of it for her. And although it came out better than I ever anticipated--and certainly better than I had any reason to expect--that just makes me prouder to be able to give her something that is beautiful, rather than just handmade.

Will she appreciate it? Of course she will. She will appreciate the thought and effort that went into creating something special just for her. She's not a knitter, so she has no way of knowing just how much thought and effort went into this particular gift, nor would I tell her, even if I knew of a way to convey an understanding of the hundreds of often-stressful hours it cost. That's not the point, is it? The point is that I know that I have given her something of myself; something that she will probably keep and remember forever. I know that every stitch holds my prayers for her happiness and well-being. And that's really what this gift is about, after all.

Any bets as to whether I will actually make it to the shower without any further disasters?

9 comments:

sophanne said...

Goodbye fair Icarus- go well.

Oh, it will get there my friend, it will arrive in fine form. A mishap en-route is not nearly dramatic enough for this piece of your life. Just be sure to pick up some coffee/tea colored RIT dye on your way out.

Maureen said...

It's beautiful even in it's delicately folded, pre-wrapped state! Safe passage to you both! (maybe put her in a ziplock, waterproof pouch for the journey...just in case)

Have a wonderful time tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

Have fun at the shower. The shawl looks great:))

Melissa Morgan-Oakes said...

YAY! If she does not appreciate it, I know of a good home ; )

dale-harriet said...

It's stunning - and it's used up its full complement of mishaps, there are none left. You're sure to have a safe trip, a wonderful time at the shower and a nice ride home. (Mark my words - the reaction to Icarus as it rises from the tissue to the eyes of all assembled will be VERY satisfying to you - even if there ISN'T another knitter in the whole room, the love and craftsmanship in it are clearly obvious.) So there!

Angelika said...

If that wedding gets delayed one more time I'd just keep the shawl. You worked hard on it. I know what you mean about knowing it's for somebode else. It's nice to know the person you make something like that for. You put all your effort into it and know it's going to go, but you won't mind. That's why you are a knitting friend.

Haley said...

Icarus look so lovely in that box. I'm sure your friend will love it and will feel blessed to have such a sweet friend as you.

Lydee said...

Auugh! A cliffhanger! I cannot wait to hear that Icarus made it safe and well to the shower. It's so lovely, your friend will be blessed.

Kim said...

Farewell Icarus! Here's hoping that the weather channel is wrong about the rain.