Can Angels Cast-On?

He had toothpick legs that contrasted with his more than ample girth, and when he pushed himself up from his wheelchair he defied gravity. He wheezed as he walked the few steps to the bathroom. Yet if someone has asked me whether he was in ill health I would have replied "No" without thinking.

We taught him to cast-off but for some reason he never learned to cast-on. He didn't even seem interested. Instead he would come in and buy yarn and more needles, and have us start a half-a-dozen scarves for him all at once.

He was the kind of customer that stays with you, not because he is the nicest or spends the most, but because he was a character. I only met him two or three times but he sticks in my mind more than some I've met a dozen times.

He was unfailingly polite and would send sweet thank-you notes that we didn't want to throw away but didn't know what to do with. He always wished us love and peace at the end.

Now that he's passed away I'm glad of whatever urge led me to save the last thank-you he sent me. In the card there was a goofy photo of him holding up one of our store bags, with his name and the date neatly penned on the back.

I'll keep my memento tucked in with my yarn.

Love and Peace Bill.