When I first started this project, I assumed that I would work with a few varieties of patterns. One pattern for hiker donors who had earned their blue shirt; one for blue and red; one for blue, red, and purple; and so on and so forth. I thought I’d have a set pattern for non-hiker donors to include the Make A Wish star. Never did I think that the project would teach me which patterns to choose, one square at a time.
Indeed it turned out that each time I started a square, I didn’t start with a pattern. I started with a person. And each person guided me to the right square for them. Something that would capture memories of that person, times we had on trail, or even the smallest thing about them. While the Wish Quilt is a project to honor and raise money for children with critical illnesses, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I was getting at least as much, if not more, out of it. Each time I start a square, I think about the person who donated for that square. I remember great times, having fun on trail, or tough times that they got me through. As I’m stuck here inside during this pandemic, these squares are a connection to my friends and family. To the healing forest that we love to share. A virtual hug, of sorts, from them to me and me to them.
I’d like to post each square as the project progresses. They are in no particular order. Just as the writing comes to me. Like Donna’s square. As soon as she posted her donation, I knew the type of square I needed to find. You see, Donna was quite literally the light in the dark for me during my first Trailblaze Challenge. If you read the “blue shirt” post, you know that I struggled in the first few miles of that hike. Every root. Every rock. Over and over again. I was scared. I was afraid of slipping off the steep edge of the narrow trail. I was afraid that I didn’t have the stamina to finish the hike after all. And then there was Donna.
Donna is a Trailblaze Challenge regular. An inspiration and friend to many. I met her early during the training season, along with her family. They were hiking together. Donna doesn’t just hike the Trailblaze Challenge. She volunteers for the Trailblaze Challenge as a sweep and a red shirt (medical volunteers). Sweeps have a unique role during the training season. Quite literally, they are meant to sweep the people ahead of them forward, making sure no one gets left behind. But, I believe the real purpose of a sweep is to bond the hikers on trail. When you have a question about shoes, you ask a sweep. If they can’t answer it, they call on another sweep. When you’ve forgotten to bring a snack when you definitely should have, it’s usually a sweep, in my case Donna, that saves the day.
Donna had encouraged me through several hikes. She listened to me talk about my life and family and shared with me about hers. Sometimes just knowing that she was a little up ahead kept me going. Knowing that there was someone there with me on the trail. And on the morning of the actual Trailblaze Challenge, it became a lifeline. After stumbling and tripping and almost resolving to defeat, Donna and her husband John encouraged me to just follow their feet. I had taken off my glasses because of constant fogging and was struggling with my headlamp. “You’ve got this,” she said. “We’ll do it together.” John said, “Just follow my steps.” And I did. For a couple of miles. Step by step by single step. I don’t think I looked up for a solid 2 miles.
I don’t think I’ve ever real told Donna and John just how much that helped me. I came into the First Aid Station with renewed confidence. And they were headed down the trail–I’m sure to offer encouragement to yet another hiker. Another family member. When Donna donated to the quilt, I wanted a square that represented light. Something like the sun. Because that’s what Donna is to me. A bright ray of sunshine in the middle of the trail, even when it’s dark, damp, and cold. Even when you’re afraid that you’re going to fall or fail. Even when you can’t see your feet or your faith. A living head lamp on the Wish journey.
The Pattern: Donna’s square is a slightly modified version of the “Weeping Willow” square by Rachele Carmona. It is one of the squares in the Vibrant Vintage Blanket CAL 2018 (#VVCAL).
Although intended to represent its namesake tree, to me the long treble crochet stitches look like the rays of the sun. Because I tend to crochet a little too tightly, the stitches pulled a little for me in the center. I felt as if the slant accentuated the feeling of light radiating out from the center.
You can find more about Rachele Carmona, her amazing work, and her patterns on her website http://cypresstextiles.net/
