Jill

 

1937 - 2012

with her husband Roland, at their Golden Wedding celebration

Our lovely knitting friend Jill died last week.  

She will be sorely missed, by both her family and all of knitting and non-knitting friends. 

 Jill lived a full and happy life.  She started knitting at the tender age of six (or was it four?  Wish I could remember!) and not thick yarn on big needles, either.  Her mother had her knitting the 'easy' bits on socks for the troops during WWII, the leg and foot bits. Mother did the difficult bits like turning the heel!  Dark yarn, small needles.  And it didn't put her off knitting.

Indeed, Jill spent her entire life knitting.

I first met Jill in the early days of the Libertys knitting group.  She loved it!  Friends and yarn in one place.  After the group closed she quickly found new places to meet up - notably Stash Yarns in Putney (now sadly closed) and IKL at Waterloo.  At one stage our Jill was going to knitting groups on Wednesday and Thursday each week, as well as meeting up on Saturdays at Stash!  That isn't including forays into new territories.  We made it to Get Knitted in Bristol a few times (you girls will be pleased to know that I've passed on a photo of you all standing  outside GK to Carrie!). Loop in North London, Mrs Moon in SW London and the staple John Lewis and Peter Jones, where she also regularly met up with knitters from the Liberty group.  She loved it all and I know I've missed out a lot!

A few years ago Jill had a very nasty fall, breaking her leg and damaging nerves (that was the most painful part). It meant a long recovery at home, and complete dependence on others to do the most basic of things, even turning over in bed.  She was at the lowest point I have ever seen her, she loathed being so dependent on others. She relied heavily on her family, who rallied around and made life as easy as possible for her.  When Stash had closed some of the knitters who met there decided to continue meeting up at a pub in Putney (not so much a knitting group as a group of friends who knit) and Jill desperately missed getting there each week.  As soon as she could she enlisted her daughter Carrie to drive her there and back!  And she went there every week up until the day she was taken ill. In these past months, when Jill was increasingly frail, they treated her to little outings, to yarn shops, to lunch, and took her to Ally Pally. I still quite can't believe that Jill was there a few weeks before she died, did the whole day!  She so enjoyed these little outings, they meant a lot to her.

 Jill's passion for all things knitting was inspirational. A great ennabler, she'd tell me all about the new season's yarns, new shops, even ravelry threads I should check out.  She had a huge heart too,  would be thoughtful to friends who were sick or who were bereaved, always there for them. The number of times she'd tell me she'd sent a card or gift to someone, she must have had a large supply of lovely cards.  She'd introduce knitters to each other, tell them about ravelry, get them involved in this big knitting world.  Nothing pleased her more than new knitters.  When her granddaughter and her daughter's friend took up knitting she was thrilled.

Jill could be bothered.  She had contemporaries whom she'd kept in touch with for decades.  She was part of a round robin letter writing group, they had all been at secretarial college (presume this was the fifties) and they'd collect various articles on things they thought would be of interest to each other, to include in their letter when they were responsible for writing it.  

She was enormously proud of her family.  In recent years as her friends have aged or become unwell, she has seen how some other families cope (not) and absolutely certain that in her time of need they would all be there for her. This meant a lot to her. 

She was taken ill on a short break with her husband Ro and taken to Poole hospital.  Last Monday she was told she had terminal cancer, and her family moved her back to London the next day. They had three short days with her before she died.  Her last evening was spent pain free, with her family around her bedside, reminiscing about her life.  Just as Jill would have wanted.  

We'll all miss her terribly. Jill was a dear, dear friend.  I haven't been able to do much knitting this past week (which would make her cross) but when I return to proper knitting I'll always be grateful to have known and spent time with this wonderful women.  She was important to a lot of people.  Active and as bright as the day she was born, right up until the last week. 

If you knew Jill, and read this today, please, knit or crochet a flower. Her family want to celebrate her life, and as that involves knitting would like to cover her casket with some sort of knitted / crocheted covering.  The ceremony will be on Tuesday 13th November, so there's not much time, get those needles clacking!  Nic is coordinating this - you can find her on ravelry under nickerjac, or she has a blog nickerjac.wordpress.com.   PLEASE knit flowers! 

Anyone with photos to share with her family can email them to Carrie.  If you email me at skeins at gmail dot com I can give you her email address, if you don't have it. 

 

Comments

[Michelle]

I am so honoured that you all have such nice memories of Stash. I am so sad about Jill. What a lovely post. Brought tears to my eyes. It makes me happy that the knitting group that I started still lives on, and that Jill had many good times there. I will be sending flowers via Fedex to Nic today.

[Mary]

Such a lovely tribute Dawn, I've got tears in my eyes, but I'm smiling as well, as you summed up the spirit of Jill so well.

[Fiona]

What a wonderful tribute to Jill , she really was an inspiration in so many ways.

[Yvonne]

A beautiful tribute which really showcases the JIll I came to know and love. In recent years I may not have seen her as often as I would have liked but on every occasion we did meet it was her passion for knitting and for friendship that shone through. I was so pleased to see her at Ally Pally - even if she did beat me to the skein of yarn I had my eye on!

Every time I open a knitting magazine I can almost hear her comments on the design, colour choice and in some cases the delusions of the designer!

About 10 years ago I met up with Jill at a small local craft event. As she was leaving she told me she'd left a book for me under a stall holder's table. When I collected it I discovered it was "Principles of Knitting" a book I'd heard rave reviews of but it was out of print and impossible to get hold of. I 'm not ashamed to report that I cried and shook believing that she didn't understand the magnitude of the gift. I tried to speak to her a couple of times about the gift, saying I'd return it after I'd read it.

[Yvonne]

Jill told me that the book was for me to keep, she knew I would use it and I did for nearly 10 years teaching knitting to beginners and others at many shows around the UK. I got so much pleasure from this and made so many friends thanks to Jill

[Ingrid]

I am so sad to read about Jill's death. She was such an inspiration to me and took the trouble to write a pattern out for me and send it to me when we first met. She always seemed to have time for everyone and was so generous in spirit. I missed the knitting group so much once I started back at work full time - I have very fond memories of the happy times we had in Stash. Jill was so special and you have captured her spirit so well, Dawn.

[Wibbo]

Beautifully written, Dawn. I remember those knitting Saturdays at Stash with great fondness.

[Zoë]

Thank you for posting this Dawn. I often think of the group at Stash with fondness, and of course Jill is a part of those memories. I'm so sad that she's passed away but happy that it was relatively painless and that she was knitting to the end.
She was so kind and friendly to me, I hope that I can be like her - in her her life and in her knitting.
Hugs to everyone.

[Tessa]

You have said it all so beautifully , Dawn. Thank you.

[Sarah]

What a beautiful post. Jill would have loved it. Jill is going to be missed dearly by so many people.

[Karin]

Thank you for this beautiful post. When I posted about my first visit to London on the Rowansite, she invited me to a 'meeting' at Liberty's and even arranged for some of Rowanettes for me to meet. She really made me feel welcome. I'm very happy to have known her.

[Diane]

What a wonderful post about a lovely lady. Jill was one of those people who cared. I only met her a couple of times. She was so kind to me,at a very dark time in my life I was on the receiving end of one of her cards, it touched my heart.

[Lesley]

Like so many others, this post did bring tears to my eyes. Yvonne, I also had a book gift from Jill, one she said I would use more than she - an out of print Alice Starmore. A book to be treasured.

We have all lost a very good friend whether we knew Jill in person or only via correspondence for many years like me.

[Fiona]

Beautiful post! Jill loved you and your blog and was always telling me to look at this, that or the other on your pages. You've captured her spirit so completely, her kindness, generosity and enthusiasm was infectious to all she met. I, along with so many others will miss her a great deal. xxx

[Jacinta]

Thank you Dawn for such a fitting and heartfelt tribute to a wonderful friend, she has left a hole in my life that no-one could ever fill, I know a lot of people will feel the same. Xxx

[Tracy]

I really am so sorry to hear this. I've been a little out of the loop just lately and suddenly out of the blue I thought of your blog. I met Jill a few times, the last was when she and Ro came down to stay at Sandford in the caravan. I was amazed at how many knitting projects she'd brought down with her to play with during her stay. We went out for lunch and the time sped by so quickly, we didn't stop chattering!
A truly lovely, caring, talented and very thoughtful lady. A pleasure to have made friends with her. X