Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Wrapping Alison in Comfort - Blanket Project


Hi Friends,

I'm writing this post to ask for your help. A very dear, sweet knitterly friend is very ill and in need of some comfort. Her name is Alison Hyde, she is the author of the wonderfully beautiful & inspirational book "Wrapped in Comfort". She is one of the most selfless knitters I've met, it seems she is always knitting a gorgeous shawl for someone else. If you know her, you know what a sweet, loving person she truly is.


Of course Alison herself best sums up the powers of a selfless gift, this excerpt is taken from her blog, posted on Dec. 7th, 2008:

"After all, just think of someone who went out of their way to do something uncommonly nice for you, and doesn’t it lift your spirits years and years after the fact? That teacher who believed in you. The friend who gave up her time to listen when you needed it. The stranger who smiled hi in passing on the day you most needed it. That provides motivation, years after the fact, to go and do the same for someone else.

We knitters have an edge in all that. What we make and give is a tangible reminder of how we feel about someone, a way to bless them over and over and over, bringing a smile to their face as they put the shawl to their back or socks to their feet, feeling warmed and thought about.

That’s powerful."

What I'd like to do is to wrap her in comfort by sending her a blanket created with loving stitches made by some of the many people/friends whose lives she has touched in some way. If you would like to participate, please do the following:

1) Drop me an e-mail to either countingsheep@bellsouth.net or elizabeth@countingsheepstudio.com and let me know you will send a square.
2) Knit OR crochet a square. The only requirements are to use something washable and to make it a finished size of 5". Please use whatever color/pattern you like & think Alison will enjoy, however, please do not use very bright colors. You can use a fingering weight yarn doubled, a dk or worsted weight, as long as you make it to size.
3) Deadline: Please send me your completed square by January 31st (or let me know it's on the way!), as I'd like to get this to her as soon as possible.
3) Mail your square to my LYS (where I am employed):
Purl's Yarn Emporium
Attn: Elizabeth
10 Wall St.
Asheville, NC 28801

After I receive your e-mail of interest, I will respond back to let you know you will be included in the blanket. Thanks for listening, please also send prayers and good healing thoughts to Alison & her family.

You can read updates about what is happening at
Spin Dye Knit, Alison's blog.


'Kathy's Shawl' from Wrapped in Comfort

4 comments:

ColorJoy LynnH said...

That's a lovely photo of our Alison. I have a "Peace Shawl" from Wrapped in Comfort, which Alison knit from the softest baby alpaca I ever touched. It is one of my most prized possessions.

She's such a fine human being, I'm delighted to participate and knit for her, this time. Thank you for coordinating this project.

Sonya said...

Yes, thank you for doing this!
I have a most prized possession from Alison too.

~ ~ Ahrisha ~ ~ said...

Elizabeth~ ~
Would it be possible to do a "Card Shower" for Alison for those of us who cannot do a square?
It might not be a good idea to post her address but if you could include the cards in the package with the blanket we could mail them to your work address,
Please let me know. I would really like to show her I am thinking of her.

Ahrisha

Shelly said...

I think I sent 2 emails of interest in helping with Alison's blanket. No need to respond to me twice. Thank you so much for being willing to put this together for her. She's truly an awesome lady and is very deserving of this.

Shelly