Sunday, 16 April 2017

A half solved mystery

- I think. I may be wrong but....
I have a wonderful friend who is a fibre artist. She also visits craft fairs around Australia and New Zealand with the extraordinary selection of unusual yarns and other items she has sourced. Her stand is the sweet shop of the dreams of knitters and crocheters.
I am extremely fortunate in that, whenever she is in my home city, I get to "play" on the stand for the few days she is here. She sells my patterns and I have knitted some samples for her. 
It is that last thing which gave rise to a mystery. Some time ago she had some unusual rayon yarn in rather different colour combinations on her stand. She passed over two skeins and asked me to "do something with it". Mmmm....just the sort of challenge I enjoy.
I thought about it. I looked at all sorts of things. I knitted a small square to get the feel of the yarn. Mm...that didn't feel right to me so I tried another one. Much better.
And I made a simple top that could be worn alone or over the top of something else. It had neat (I like to think) little ties at the side. I thought that made it unique enough to call it my own design. I wrote the pattern. I put the pattern and the finished garment into the post and I waited...
Oh right they were away. The parcel had not been collected from their post office. I waited some more. No. The parcel was not there. There was some double checking.
According to the post office at this end the parcel had been delivered.  According to my friend the parcel had not arrived. That was three years ago.
Yesterday I was out and about briefly and, in the not too far distance, I saw something. It didn't register at first. I just thought something looked vaguely familiar, that I'd seen it somewhere before. 
And then I realised....it was the top I had made. Yes, I would ask where the wearer had got it from! She was a very pleasant woman who seemed quite happy and relaxed about talking to me. Where had she got the top? She had bought it at a garage sale.
     "The usual thing. They were getting rid of a heap of stuff because they were moving. I suppose it didn't fit or something. I don't think she had ever worn it. Isn't it nice. Look, I love these little ties."
I didn't say anything because I sensed that the person I was talking to had come by it honestly. She would not have been aware that she was buying something that was almost certainly not come by honestly.
It solves the mystery in part. At least I know the top is being worn and appreciated.
But I would love to know how the seller had come by it!
 

2 comments:

Momkatz said...

What a fascinating story? I once donated a beautiful hand-knit Aran sweater belonging to a family member to our local Good Will. I ended up working with a lady who wore it every day and loved it. I never let on that we had a shared history.
Love from Sister Cat

Jodiebodie said...

I worry about corruption in our postal services. I have for a long time because I have had so many parcels go missing and it is especially hurtful when the parcels were destined for young children for their birthdays.
When discussing this with the parents one year, I was shocked to hear them recall numerous occasions where they were delivered the wrong item and frequently had items arrive late and seriously damaged. They live in the country and rely on postal services to deliver many goods. It is common for things to go missing. Sadly, for the parents of these deserving children, they were so matter of fact about it because it happens so often. They had given up even bothering to complain or get upset about it.
These days we need to write the contents on the outside label of the package and I often wonder whether opportunistic thieves get excited by the label and feel the need to take possession of the contents.