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Almost twenty years ago already, my husband and I owned an Inn in New Hampshire. Also, known as a bed and breakfast, it was a dream come true to be innkeepers! Little did I know there would be ghosts at the inn.
The inn itself is a beautiful, old Greek Revival home, which was built in 1853. It housed the family of Benjamin Prescott. There were ten bedrooms and private baths as well as our bedroom and living quarters. Beautiful common rooms and two dining rooms greeted our guests in the morning. We were surrounded by a dairy farm which had been in the town for decades. In fact, the smell of freshly-cut grass would permeate our home at this time of year, as Peter, the farmer would cut down the hay in early June.
One of the descendents of Mr. Prescott was named Nabby. Aside from her name being included in a little genealogy chart on the wall in the breakfast room, very little was known about this Nabby. All I know is she died very young; probably in her teens or early twenties.
It was only a few months that we were living there and I remember being in the living room which was behind the kitchen. It was our private living space and I was still going through boxes and articles that I wanted to place in different rooms around the Inn. As I was standing in the center of the room I had the distinct impression that someone was standing in the doorway which led out into the kitchen. As I looked up all I saw was a “shadow” very dark, but very distinguishable. No doubt about it, it was the shadow of a young woman. It looked as if she were wearing a long gown, which was the wardrobe of women in the 18th century, certainly something Nabby would have been accustomed to.
For quite some time, I never told anyone about my “discovery.” There were a few other instances of Nabby’s presence in the Inn; once on the second-floor hallway I was overcome with a great sense of comfort and love; something I can’t convey here in words. If you’ve ever had this happen to you, then you know what I’m saying. It was as if her whole being had saturated every molecule in the air for that instance; and then she was gone.
A few years passed and there were no other incidences. My husband and I were busy cleaning and painting, and I was knitting new afghans for each room, and I’m convinced that Nabby was happy with how her “home” was being cared for. One weekend in August we were full of guests and one of the older women came down for breakfast the next morning, and told me something very interesting. She said she had felt a presence in her room the night before; nothing malicious or bad, she said. This presence had filled her room with a loving aura, and then she said she saw what appeared to be the shadow of a young woman.
Well, I was just blown away! I told her how this “woman” had appeared to me also and we were convinced that there was someone from the past still “living” in the Inn. In fact, two women sharing a room one night, told me how two books that were on the dresser kept “flying” off. More than once, they said! They were nowhere near them; I just nodded. Somewhere in that ethereal other-world Nabby was watching. There really were ghosts at the inn.
Which brings me to yarns that definitely have that “spiritual” touch. You know the ones, all warm and fuzzy, literally! When you knit with them they take on the texture of melted snow; so light to the touch as to be almost invisible.
One of those pretty gossamer yarns that comes right to mind is mohair or a mohair-blend. They may be a little tricky to knit with, but are definitely worth the trouble, because they transform your project into something spectacular! Here is Celine knitting yarn in white. This is a blend of cashmere, wool, and mohair and comes in a variety of colors.
Another fingering or lacy yarn is silk yarn and this comes in many different types and colors. A cobweb lace yarn, this yarn is light and airy and knits up easily. Here’s the link for the Mulberry Silk Cobweb yarn. Color is a stunning violet (think Elizabeth Taylor eyes!) and is beautiful! Other colors include white, black, and an Alpine blue as well as other colors. These are rich, beautiful colors so be sure to pick up a skein or two for a one-of-a-kind scarf! I’ve used these already and they are in my Wishlist at Amazon, but you know . . . there are only 24 hours in a day!
One thing to note is that the larger your knitting needle, the more cobweb-y your knitting will be! Lots of “holes” and space to make the lace pop!
So, the next time you’re in your favorite yarn shop look around in those dark corners! You just never know what gossamer yarn may be lurking there!
I can never be sure if I was actually visited by someone from another realm. The experience was like nothing I have ever known before and it sure seemed genuine! I’m not a ghost-hunter or a fanatic. All I do know for sure is that the day we moved out, our loaded-up moving van was a mile outside of the town limits and it broke down. Do you think Nabby was trying to tell us something? I hope so. I think about her all of the time! Or was she just another ghost at the inn? Hmmm . . .
Just another way to
“Homekeeping Inspirations for Knitting Your Best Life!”
P.S. Remember, if you would like to know more about “how to knit” — check out this link!
