Billy's swatch

I had a distinctly lovely Truth and Beauty moment at church this morning. It was unrelated to the liturgy or sermon or readings or music or any of the usual sources of spiritual inspiration on a Sunday morning, but it was no less profound for me. It came in the form of a handmade jewel, a gem whose colour and texture and source struck me as deeply beautiful. This is the handiwork of my dear friend, Billy:



Now you think you're seeing a wee knitted swatch, but to me it's a testament to resourcefulness, dedication, creativity, and sensual pleasure. It's made of soy silk yarn, yarn which Billy spun by hand. He used fibres that are produced from tofu manufacturing waste. Tofu never looked so good! Then he died the freshly spun yarn using lime KoolAid™ and his microwave. To test his efforts, he then knitted this swatch, using the smallest knitting needles you can find (2mm, US size 0, UK size 14). The swatch is about 2.5 by 3 inches in size. For three weeks, Billy carried around this fabulous jewel of a swatch to show off to friends who- like me- appreciate such things.

It blew me away that this was:
a) tofu
b) so lovingly made entirely from scratch
c) both delicate and strong
d) soft as a baby's bottom
e) the colour of the early green of the rice paddies of Viet Nam

I don't particularly like the term "eye candy" but this may be a fitting expression for how I felt about this delicately crafted piece. It made me hungry, somehow. I wanted to be wrapped head to toe in it, to swim in the jewel green of it, to hold it and behold it without interruption. Billy was sufficiently pleased with my adulation that he offered me the swatch. Actually, I asked if I could have it. "What will you do with it?" he asked. "Put it in my prayer alcove, I think, and write about it on my Truth and Beauty blog." That clinched it. Now it's yours to enjoy as well. Treasure the little things.