Here is a nice shot of Devan sitting in the garden at the Fred Heutte Center in Norfolk Virginia.  We hung out there a bit when we were living in Norfolk, since the gardens were right around the corner from our townhouse there.  The gardens are lovely, Devan is looking pretty good herself, but I would like to direct your attention to the Lavender Knitted Lace Shawl.

The pattern for it is in Folk Shawls , where it is referred to as the Prairie Shawl.  But in our house it is The Shawl that Belongs to Us or sometimes The Love Shawl.  I actually made it for myself out of Brown Sheep wool about 8 years ago when we were living in Arizona.  But over the years I have used it to wrap around us both when we were watching a movie on the couch, or outside the house in Coolidge on chilly mornings when we were waiting for the bus and Devan was small enough to fit under my chin with my arms and the shawl wrapped around us both, our breath misting the air in front of us.  And, over the years, I have noticed that although she would never wear a shawl out amongst the people as her "public" self, Devan will grab this one to wrap herself in to snuggle, or to step outside to take a picture in the yard, or just as her comfortable house shawl.  I thought about giving it to someone a couple of years ago, but Devan informed me that she had acquired squatter's rights to it, and would be taking it off with her to college, so I had best make myself another.  Fair warning to me and to you.  Be aware of the emotional entanglements that wind their way through your work.