Charity Begins at Home

Dear Old Doggie's demise sent me in a tailspin knitting-wise. She was too closely related to the projects I already had on the needles. She was always tucked down beside me wherever I was planted. I needed to knit but I didn't have the heart to continue with what I had going on.

I also didn't want to knit something for myself that would always be a reminder of these sad days. Charity knitting was the answer. I have read about organizations that collect prayer shawls for bereaved mothers who must leave the hospital with empty arms. Since Dear Old Doggie was my baby, the idea of giving comfort to someone who had lost theirs was comforting to me in those first terribly lonely days.

 The pattern is The Hug Shawl by Mary Ellen Langieri and it's a quick knit with a brilliant scalloped edge. The organization I am knitting this for requests calm colors and soft, easy care yarns so once again acrylics come to the rescue.

I did learn my lesson with marking the right side of garter stitch when I had to rip back a day's worth of work after mixing up the sides. There's a lesson in everything, isn't there?