Cecelia Penner arrived at her home after a long day at work Friday afternoon to a bag in front of her doorstep.
The Colwood woman peeked inside and discovered a knitted octopus sleeve, with red and purple hues and fastened to a blue banner, similar to one she created and had stolen earlier this summer.
“It was overwhelming and heartwarming. It’s such an honour that someone was so moved to create something as a replacement,” Penner said.
In mid-July, Penner’s octopus sleeve art piece was stolen from the utility pole outside her home on Metchosin Road. The avid knitter had poured 40 to 50 hours of work into the piece.
RELATED: Popular octopus art stolen from Colwood neighbourhood
Penner was only gone for two hours on Monday, July 13, the day of the theft, but that was enough time for the octopus to be snatched.
The small gifted octopus sleeve came with a letter, saying the giver was disappointed to hear about the loss and decided to “make this little guy.”
The note says the gift-giver enjoyed previous works Penner created, including a Christmas-inspired sleeve during the holidays and blooming flowers in spring.
The note ends with an anonymous signoff from “a local fan.”
“This was beyond anything I’d expect anyone to do. To the person out there that gifted this, you don’t know how thrilled I am,” said Penner.
Penner plans to put the new octopus sleeve in a more secure place near her home that can still be spotted by the public.
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