For years and years I just wanted to help my dear friend Sally sell her stuff.
But she just wanted to keep it, and collect more.
One of the truly wonderful aspects to our friendship was that even though there were things we didn't really agree with we always accepted each other for who we were.
Over the 20 years we knew each other we changed and grew as individuals but we were still able to accept each other for who we were - all faults included.
I learnt to work around her non existant schedule and eluding nature - and when I caught her spent as much time with her as possible, breakfast would turn into an adventure and often lunch and dinner and possible breakfast the next day.
I am sure that I often annoyed her with my bossy nature, this feature harnessed meant that I could move mountains and organise stuff in moments, well that mountain did take a bit longer than a day but I started it off in a way that made the move out of Burton st that much easier, I thought so at least.
I really cherished her and our friendship- and it was such an honour to help her son organise selling her fabric collection on the weekend - but I didn't plan on the emotional side to this. I had a night of tears on Saturday and then Sunday morning -as I realised here I was doing what I had wanted to do and not what she had wanted - it was quite conflicting and cathartic all at the same time.
What made the day even more special was that the old gang of workers from Kookaburra Kiosk were there, and most of us had not seen each other since Sal's funeral - it was great to have tears and hugs and chats - just like the old days.
The job was huge - Mitch spent 2 weeks - with lots of help - sorting and measuring all of the fabric - we spent 6-7 hours on Saturday pricing and putting it out. Then another 3 hours setting up before the sale.
The line formed at about 10.30 and the first 4 hours went really quickly as it was packed. There were heaps of familiar faces in the crowd and we sold at least 3/4 of what was there.
One lady bought this fabric in the morning and came back in the afternoon with this gorgeous finished dress for her daughter. WOW
We are going to set up a flikr page of finished items - let me know if you came and bought anything.
Keep an eye on the website, and sign up for the newsletter, as what wasn't sold - actually quite a few of the better pieces - Mitch is going to put up there -and there is linen and haberdashery to go - and we will probably organise another sale for these.
Now for some knitting -
A big thankyou to Emily for sending a little bit of knit camp over for me -I love these colours and now wondering what to make.....
I did manage to finish a knitted item next week - this is for a friend who recently moved to Melbourne.
Damson by Ysolda in
on 4mm addi turbos- 80cm (current fav)- a really quick knit - very satisfying - the colours are goregous.
I really hope she likes it.
4 comments:
Your Damson is lovely - I'm sure it will be much loved and appreciated by your lucky friend.
I hope I have as good a friend as you to help sell my stash after I'm gone (if there's any left by then, which hopefully there won't be, because I really do want to knit IT ALL!). A difficult but lovely thing you have done for your friend and her family. Hope you are doing ok (and that you got some special pieces for yourself too). xx
such a lovely post fee, and i know how hard a time this has been for you. truly you are a wonderful friend, and i hope you know how much you are loved and appreciated. and still, you manage to knit a gorgeous shawl for someone else. lucky us to know you xx
Lots of hugs to you. You wrote a really gorgeous tribute to your friend.
And the flickr page with FOs is genius.
Also, your Damson is gorgeous. I had such horrible troubles with my first one. My second one was frogged. I love it so much, but have been having issues trying to build up enough mojo to complete a second...
I'm s sorry to have missed the sale of Sally's textiles, but I'll keep an eye on the website for future offerings. Helping sell so many of Sally's precious things must have been difficult - even if it was an outcome you'd encouraged. But it must also have had that poignant happy-sadness of remembering her and her feelings for the things she'd loved so much.
What a good friend you are!
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