I was sitting in the train on my way to work last Wednesday morning, way too early. This could have been a very boring trip, except for the fact that I was having a great time with a crochet hook and some yarn. My mom and I have undertaken to crochet black edges on some granny squares and eventually assemble them to make a blanket for my aunt. It just so happens that a trainride to work is just the amount of time it takes me to crochet an edge on one of these squares.
But these squares aren't just any granny squares. They were made by my great-grandmother long before she died 15 years ago, and have just been lying in an attic, waiting for my aunt to come along, pick them up and decide that they should be brought out into the light again. At first, I must admit I was a bit jealous that I hadn't found them first - I love anything old and handmade, and after all, I was named after my great-grandmother! After a little bit of thought, though, I realized that I really do want my aunt to have the finished blanket. She and my great-grandmother were very close, and this blanket will hold so many more memories for her than it ever could for me. So all is as it should be.
It makes me happy that we have a tradition for cherishing handmade things in my family. We admire the handiwork and the many hours that have gone into making a crocheted blanket or a beautiful tablecloth, and we fondly remember the person who made it, whether or not they are still with us. Call me sentimental, but it always makes me sad to find carefully handmade blankets and sweaters abandoned in a thrift shop, with no one to remember the person who made them.
So I think that the first task I will set myself is to sniff out all the handmade blankets in the family and tell their stories. I will keep you up to date on the great-granny squares, as well, and tell you more about my great-grandmother's creations.
