About a week ago I began a mothers-day-inspired handspun yarn giveaway on Instagram and Facebook for the pink and green skein pictured above. To enter, people had to write the one thing they thought of or remembered most about their Mother. Each and every entry has been special and moving in one way or another.
I thought I'd share some of these lovely entries with you ... (reproduced exactly as originally written with permission from the author):
By sayralynn578 on Instagram: "Endurance, the word that describes my mother. Diagnosed with Lupus and RA at 18, she pushed through and ran a pre-school for 25 years. Instilled the importance of education which led to me becoming a teacher. Even after becoming permanently disabled, she continue to endure and had devoted herself to my two children. She never complains how her lot, she's grateful to still be able to be in our lives."
By ghosthearts on Instagram: "The smell of lipstick always reminds me of my mum. She was a single mother with two jobs and when I smell lipstick, I remember laying in her bed sleeping and she would kiss me goodbye before leaving for either job and kiss me again when she came home. I would always be half asleep but I'd smell her lipstick and know things were ok."
By knitmesomething on Instagram: "There are many things I think of when I consider my mom, but recently I would say courage tops the list. She had a stroke a year and a half ago, but the doctors were able to save her. She has very decreased mental and physical capabilities from the lack of oxygen to her brain, but has made amazing strides toward recovery since then. She can no longer crochet so I knit for her often. She has even begun giving up cigarettes and coffee for her health. It makes me so sad to think I might have lost her that day, but grateful for her recovery and thankful that I can still speak with her whenever I want to."
By almaluz on Instagram: "My mother always taught me to give away what you love the most. If someone was to compliment her on anything ... it's always, here take it. She taught me to live simple and to give back. The more you give the more you get back in other ways :)"
By nurseknitsalot on Instagram: "Softspoken describes her the best. Always found her in the kitchen, folding laundry or up late night with Johnny Carson. Never complained and never went to the doctor. She died one April, my sister found her. When I was told, the world started spinning and I fell to my knees. That was almost 30 years ago ... I loved her dearly".
By spoospa on Instagram: "My mother has always been my 'crafty' inspiration. I grew up with her running her own crafting business and am in awe of her every day."
By Kimberley Ann Ramos-Lenzi on Facebook: "My Mom is very generous with her time, love and food."
By Maria Mavridou on Facebook: "What I admire my mother for (and wish to pass it on to my children) is her ability to offer all the time the best of herself without making a fuss about it. And by that I mean everything ... from the simple offering of the best portion on a daily basis, to far more complicated things like giving her soul ....."
By daniellenolan107 on Instagram: "My mom has always been really silly and a child at heart! Lol she use to dance all over the house and sing to us while she cleaned and she was always so sweet and kind hearted ... And she still is :)) She's great with my girls as well."
By rijelviolent on Instagram: "My mom's a breast cancer survivor and went through her major mastectomy when I was about 12. I remember being SOOOO worried about her, since I was 12 I had no idea what to expect and thought she was going to die in surgery. Immediately after her surgery, we went to her room and she looked at me and called over with her finger. When I got close enough, her raspy after surgery voice said 'Are you jealous?' And pointed at her new gigantic fake boobs. I will never forget her face smiling when I just looked appalled because that's what she was thinking about when she got out of surgery."
By jwarda25 on Instagram: "All I can say is that ... I only hope I can be like my mum was with me, with my son."
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As you can see by how candid and personal these stories are, it was incredibly hard to choose a winner of the handspun mini skein. If I could send some yarn to everyone who entered I really honestly would.
However, I'm afraid there can only be one winner of the yarn ...
So congratulations goes to KATKNITS from Instagram whose outpouring of love and remembrance for her kind and generous Mother has really touched my heart. As a big-hearted Mama myself, I hope and pray that I will be viewed as highly by my son in the years to come.
By katknits on Instagram: "I remember my moms big giant generous heart the most. And her laugh. It rang through the hills. She collected cats, or they collected her. She left this earth in '99. She was an organ donor and ended up saving the lives of 2 women and another regained her eyesight. Generous to the end. Miss her every day and night. We were great friends and did art together ... Mothers Day is a hard one."
A portrait of Kat (taken with permission from her IG feed)
A photo of Kat as a baby with her Mother (taken with permission from her IG feed)
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A huge thank you to everyone who took part.
