Have You Seen My Hat?

These words were said to me on Sunday. Thing was, I had seen his hat -which was not unusual - but where I had seen it was unusual.

I had been sitting at the table eating breakfast that morning, looking out in the backyard, when I saw a small rumpled pile on the path by the garden. Remember the day after Christmas? All that rain and melting? This was the morning after. Then I got distracted and forgot about the small rumpled pile. A few hours later Hal came to me and said those words that are often said by husbands: Have you seen my........?" And I suddenly realized what I had seen in the back yard. Here it is:


First of all: He did feel terrible. He loves this hat. He had been making a snow and light sculpture in the backyard right before Christmas and he must have lost it then. But I have all kinds of confidence in wool and I felt sure we could revive it. I took it inside and I found a small earthworm inside it! It was loaded with dirt. I think it acted as a sieve during all the rain and melting. Here is a picture of the first bath. (I took the worm outside and put it in the garden.)


And here is the second bath:


And here it is all clean (except for a little Wissahickon schist (sp?) sparkles that may never come out. It took five baths to get it clean. Wool is so cool. And I love this hat. I should make another one.