When I was growing up, my mother made all my clothes. For my senior prom, we went dress shopping together. With each dress I tried on, I would tell her the aspects that I liked, and when we got home, she made a pattern that incorporated each of those aspects into one unique dress that I loved.
My friend Harriet has similar skills. She can look at any set of raw materials and quilt, knit, crochet, build, sew or otherwise construct a thing of beauty. And fast.
I can do that with food. I cannot do that with knitting, at least yet. From watching my mom and Harriet, I know a project can be done and I generally dive in, even knowing my limits.
When I wanted knit leg warmers, the pattern I loved was a cable stitch, something I’ve never done. I don’t require perfection but I know that I am a slow knitter. I worried that I wouldn’t get the leg warmers finished until next winter (who knew how endless this winter would be!). Also, there was that nagging feeling – would I be around to wear them?
Harriet and her flying needles immediately came to mind. Maybe she would make them? After a brief, online conversation with her, I sent off the pattern and the yarn.
Something to know about me: I don’t see people as they are today. I generally see them at their best. So say, if they were a great gymnast at age 7, a brilliant student at age 15 and a fashion model at age 20, I see them as all these things at once, even if they are 80 years old with a failing memory and walking with a cane.
It never occurred to me that Harriet might be out of her knitting phase and into something else. And she is too generous to burst my little imaginary world.
This is the story of the leg warmers and the generosity of friendship, from Harriet’s point of view. So beautifully told, I had to share it.
And the leg warmers arrived well before the end of winter, too. Thank you, Harriet!
Lots of love,
Marie
P.S. Harriet also taught my children to say, “Thank you for my lovely dinner. May I please be excused?” I LOVE that gift every single day.
Adventures in Spiritual Living 
Marie that was wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
Sent from my iPad
Thanks for being out there, Janet!
Beautiful, Marie! Just beautiful and I loved your friend’s piece, too. Once again, I’m profoundly moved and touched by knowing you.
Love you to pieces, Jamie
Thanks, Jamie – love you too! You are amazing and I am so lucky to know you.
Beautiful! We need more Harriets in this world!
That would be awesome. I’d like one to move in with me. 🙂
I’d like that too!
I love Harriet’s story. I am just learning to knit and while I know it wasn’t her intended take-away, I’m astonished she whipped those off in five days.
❌⭕
Mollie
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Isn’t that crazy fast, Mollie! Happy to knit with you anytime, btw. And did you see the store on Broadway called Gather Here?
How I love Harriet, and this perfect account of her wonderfulness. May your legs be warm and your heart stay light.
Thanks, Jennifer! Isn’t Harriet amazing? And I love that my legs got to be warm for the rest of the winter. I will keep the heart light 🙂
Love your post, love the hand knit leg warmers! I’m a life-long knitting addict myself, and it makes me happy when others appreciate hand-knitting. Yay!
Thanks, Karen! (And I didn’t know that you KNIT on top of everything else!)
I love hearing both sides of the story! One of my life lessons has been learning to ask for help and this is such a great example of how giving someone a chance to help is a gift to them as well. I have a special talent that I used to make a living on but while I no longer do, I’m still known for it. Every so often someone will ask me to do it and I’m always initially full of excuses as to why I shouldn’t do it. I’ve never regretted helping once I got over my fears (of failing, taking on too much, disappointing). Knowing what it does for me to give of myself makes it a little easier to ask for help when I need it. It’s a beautiful cycle!
Of course, Karen, I am wondering what your secret special talent is (but don’t feel pressured to share 🙂 And I think it is hard to know when it is okay to push yourself to help and when it is detrimental. Or at least, that is true for me. But yes, asking for help is not easy and not done without careful thought. Thanks for the reminder!
Haha! It’s resume writing, which is really a form of therapy for people in terms of helping them get their confidence back. I’m really good at it but it takes a lot out of me. I never figured out how to write a resume without feeling like I had a person’s life in my hands!
I love that you are telling the story if someone’s life. Of course!!! I should have guessed this. So cool!
Great story from Harriet. It just goes to show you how the adversity in other people’s lives facilitates the grace to do good in ours.
Good point, Jeff!
From the daughter of a former knitter, and the mother of a current one, I understand it all! So glad Harriet could help and I hope your legs are warm and cozy with love. Thinking of you!
Bravo to Harriet. It’s so hard to ask for help in the first place… When someone who’s chirped “ask me anything” or “just let me know what you need!” responds to a request with that shallowness, as she called it – well, then, it’s that much harder to ask for help the next time, or from someone else.