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Six Degrees of Separation

You know the theory, the one that supports that other saying "It's a small world." Six degrees of Separation, explained more intelligently in the link, means that the whole world is connected by people who know someone who knows someone, who knows someone…you're never more than six steps away from that knowledge of someone. I told you Wikipedia could do it better than I. Here are some real life examples:

Twenty four years ago C and I  moved to a small town called Lions Bay, BC, population 1500. The woman next door, and one about five houses up, and I, all graduated from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo within two years of each other and all ended up in tiny Lions Bay, Canada.

A woman I know had never met her step-father's first children. Even at his funeral events, the two families missed each other by hours. A couple of years later she went on a boating day trip with a group from work. They decided to cross into US territory. When they docked in WA for lunch, they had to provide ID to the customs officer. My friend noticed that the woman next to her had an unusual last name, the same as her step-father's. You've probably guessed it – she was the daughter of her step-dad, the child she had never met, but for whom had selected birthday and Christmas gifts for him to send back to his first family.

I bet lots of you have stories like that. What's yours?

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I'm knitting a six degrees, of sorts, comfort blanket. Remember the prayer shawl I made for the mom of my student intern? It sat in the corner of my bedroom for  months because I was afraid to give it to her. Turned out she loved it, telling me it has brought her great comfort over the past year, and could I make two more – one for a friend of her daughter and one for the friend's brother, who as young adults, have lost both their parents. I've started the first one, based on the Bob Blankie by Mags Kandis.

The yarn is James C. Brett Marble Chunky. The skeins are 200 grams each, big as a bowling ball and light as a feather. Very nice for a washable acrylic.

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12 responses to “Six Degrees of Separation”

  1. Dorothy Avatar
    Dorothy

    About 10 years ago hubby found out that he had a sister he had never met – she had been given up for adoption. They ended up finding each other. She was brought up in Illinois. It turns out that her husband’s roommate in college lives in our small town and is one of my boss’s best friends! Don’t you love those??

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  2. Dotty Avatar
    Dotty

    Oh – I have a story. We were grocery shopping this weekend at the local Save On Foods in Burnaby. We bumped into hubby’s co-worker. He was grocery shopping with his wife & son. We said hi and chatted then moved on. A few aisles over, hubby says that his co-worker’s wife used to work with Kelly. I scratched my head and couldn’t figure out who he was talking about. Then the light bulb came on – Kelly is the father of a friend that I went to high school with in Surrey.

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  3. Ellen Avatar
    Ellen

    As a junior in high school, I made a friend in Minneapolis through a student government program. Six years later, at a porcelain factory in Copenhagen, I saw a girl wearing a bandanna that had the same last name as my friend’s on it; it was my friend’s sister. Several years later a guy with the same last name began working with my husband on the Rochester Police Department. He was their cousin. ‘Small world.
    How is it working with the bigger yarn on that pattern? I’ll bet it goes much faster than the Mission 1824. It’s looking good. (Amalie loves the baby’s blanket.)

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  4. Maureen Avatar
    Maureen

    One night, with nothing better to do, I ‘googled’ my name – first and last. It turns out there is another with my name who is a dog groomer in Las Vegas. Upon sending her an e-mail to say ‘Hi’ and inquire upon her family background, we discovered that she and I are married to men who share the same great-grandfather. Her husband’s grandfather immigrated to America in the early 1900’s and my husband’s grandfather remained in what was Austria at the time. During the second World War, the American family would send much appreciated care packages to the (now)Italian family. In the end, two grandsons of two brothers each married a Maureen

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  5. Tiffany Avatar
    Tiffany

    I am a beginner knitter and I saw your Herringbone Rib Scarf on Sandy’s Knitting blog. I would LOVE to have a copy of the pattern to try for myself. Would you send it to my email please? Thank you so much!

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  6. Woolybelle Avatar
    Woolybelle

    I googled Manos scarf pattern and saw the picture of your Herringbone Rib scarf. May I have the pattern for it? I have some Manos that would definitely do it justice.
    Thanks,
    K

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  7. Elaine Therrien Avatar
    Elaine Therrien

    Hi, I happened across some of your Herringbone Rib scarfs on Ravelry and thought the pattern was beautiful. Can you please send it to my email? Thanks, Elaine

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  8. Marguerite Avatar
    Marguerite

    Hi from another Western grad – Biomedical Science with a Chemistry minor in 1979.

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  9. Angie Avatar
    Angie

    Our theory is the one who inflicts our ears with “It’s a Small World” has to leave the room. We had a terrible game at Disneyland. I tell people who move to our community that the six degrees of separation refers to me. They believe it because I grew up here and am related to many. I’m doing my nursing internship in the hospital (hint, hint, gift, gift- not)as a returning RN and have had a connection with almost every patient or doctor. My preceptor nurse is incredulous.
    Whenever we travel, anywhere in the world, we meet someone from Chilliwack.
    My your scarf is the favourite Christmas gift, isn’t it?

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  10. Lorette Avatar
    Lorette

    I’ve had lots of these moments over the years. The most recent was at the hospital I work at. One of the ICU nurses came up to me the first week I was there and introduced herself. Of course, I recognized her. We both grew up in the same tiny town in North Dakota, 1300 miles away. Our brothers were best friends.

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  11. Anni Avatar
    Anni

    Years ago I was an Air Force wife and we were stationed in Fairbanks Alaske. At he tend of three years we were transferred to California (after spending 3 months in Alabama for additional training) On our drive back to Northern California we decided to camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains. As we were driving through the campground we heard our names yelled out…Sure enough it was friends we had met in Fairbanks, camping there that weekend…a seeming “One in a Million” event! We each have dozens of these experiences don’t we!??
    If you have time to send the herringbone scarf pattern I would love to start it for this year’s Christmas gift…I want to get an early start!

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  12. Jackie Avatar
    Jackie

    I would love to have your pattern for Herringbone rib scarf. Would James C. Brett Marble Chunky work with the pattern? I love this yarn.

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