Marie's Socks

I love to knit socks . Among friends and acquaintances this is considered to be odd. After all you can buy socks , usually much cheaper than hand knitted ones. Non knitters are unaware of how comfortable , colourful and long lasting these hand knit socks can be . Until they receive a pair , that is .

Yesterday I spent a good part of the day with my friend Marie . She was one of my mother's very good friends . Since my mother has passed away , I've become close to Marie . She has severe health problems and limited mobility , as she has to be on oxygen more and more these days. She celebrated her eightieth last month and believe me that was a milestone in more ways than one . Marie has begun to knit socks again . Often when I'd visit her I'd bring along my sock knitting . We'd chat , have a cup of tea and spend some very nice time together . She was always commenting on how nice the sock yarns were. She had some yarn , not really appropriate for socks though , and before long she'd cast on for a pair of socks. She hadn't knit socks since she was a girl , when every young girl learned how to knit . On another visit I brought her some needles and several balls of yarn . She was like a kid in a candy store . I couldn't believe how quickly she was producing socks . It seemed that just about every time I'd go over she had another a pair done or almost done. She's knit for herself , myself and my family as well as some friends . Marie is one reason I keep buying sock yarn . My mission is to keep her going. This sock knitting is very therapeutic for her . It keeps her quiet and settled when she needs to be. It gives her a focus on something other than her disease ; helps her to deal with her pain . It makes her feel useful in that she can still do things for other people . She had been a nurse and would volunteer at our local hospital after her illnesses forced her to retire . In the last months it's given her so much pleasure . These socks are just a few of the ones she's done for Mike and me.

Lately Marie has become more frail and it's becoming more difficult for her to fight her illness . I can't express what a remarkable and courageous woman she is and how lucky we all are to know her. And benefit from her sock knitting . Marie's current WIP - a pair of socks for Chantal .