Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The life of a knitted cap



The story of the knitted hat . . .

About a decade ago my friend Dalla Brown from Canada began treatments for a cancer diagnosis.  To support her recovery I commissioned my sister, Cheryl Madson of Bothell, WA (who is a marvelous knitter) to make a special funny cap in case the need arose. I picked out the wild and crazy wool at a little shop in Half Moon Bay.  Cheryl knitted it and shipped it to me in California.  I sent it to Dalla in Gananoque, Ontario. After keeping the cap for a few years, Dalla returned it to me; and I sent it to be worn by my good friend, Trudy Boyle, another Canadian lady then living in Calgary.  When she began her chemo she started a collection of hats/caps to wear.  A few years later, after Trudy’s lovely hair had all grown back in, and curly to boot, she returned the cap to me.  I shipped it recently to Canada, to Toronto, where a special friend and former student of mine, Monica Romig Green, was living.  Monica is a Spiritual Director and Counselor.  Now that her treatments are complete and her hair is growing back she returned it to me.   Today I mail the cap to my dear sister in law, Lynn Ryan, who is in Virginia and in the middle of her treatment schedule.  I hope that she will wear it occasionally with a smile remembering the others who have worn this cap during their journey.  The cap is a little large, so some wear it by rolling over the band or on top of a scarf or other skullcap.  It is my hope that the cap will continue its journey on to cheer on the recovery of others who will be taking this adventure.

Thank you, Cheryl, for beginning this tradition.
August 27, 2013 
Patricia Ryan Madson