From: Luanne

I first logged onto the "Yossel's Toessels" website last fall.
It was such fun.
I laughed and cried, and that was just reading the knitting patterns.
A few days later, when I clicked onto the "Tragic Announcement"
side of the front page, I first thought it was an elaborate funky joke.
When it hit me that the real person behind all that whacked-out
humor really was dead, I felt as though
I had gained and lost a friend in a very short span of time.
I knew what I had to do.
I went out and bought some yarn and made a toessel.
The French Beret Toessel looks much better on my husband than it does on me,
so he wears it over his now abundant dreadlocks.
I feel an odd connection to Jos when I see him wear it;
and that's one reason to knit, after all - to be connected with the past,
the present and the future, all at once.

My favorite of Jos' writings is the one in which he compares
the difficulty of knitting to making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
He says something like, 
"Find a hot little honey with grandchildren to show you the basics."
I guess that's me, since I am 45 years old and a step-grandmother,
as well as the mother of five, ages 12 down to 2.
I've been knitting for over 30 years, but
never had more fun knitting than when making a toessel.

My heartfelt condolences on your loss of such a vibrant,
thoughtful member of your family
I wish I could have dated him.  I wish I'd married him.
Wish my son was like him ...  hey, wait a minute,
  
I have five daughters!   Oh well