Show and Tell

Finally! I'm ready to unveil my second super secret knitting project! The intended recipient finally received it. I had it slated to be finished before her baby was born, but alas, it took months longer to finish than I anticipated. Anyway, here it is... my first blanket.

The little girl reportedly loves it. I'm so glad. I had a blanket much like this when I was little. I called it my "blankie," and it followed me everywhere. Mom had to sneak it from under my arms to wash it and repair its edging. I remember pushing my finger into the little fold of satin and rubbing back and forth as I drifted off to sleep. The contrast between the soft knit and silky satin was a pleasure.

Now for the show & tell aspect... Knitting this thing took me a lot longer than I had anticipated. Sewing the border around the edges by hand was excruciating after taking that long to finish the knit portion. But sew it I did! There were a lot of mistakes since I am not a seamstress, but I kept sending little prayers of thanks to Heaven for my Grandma who taught me to sew in the first place.

All in all, this project really made me think a lot about my Grandma and all the wonderful times we spent together sewing, crocheting, reading and drinking tea. Then I remembered the quilt my Grandma had made for me before she died. She hand sewed every section of that quilt, not knowing with each day if she would live to complete it. She did. Each quilt took her months of cutting, sewing and piecing. She would draw her own designs on cardboard to use as decorations for inside the squares, and she spent hours in fabric stores looking for the best matches for her projects. She had extreme arthritis and would poke her fingers with needles often, but she kept doing it because it was her way to feel useful and to show her love. Remembering all that made me feel like a wimp for taking so long with this comparatively small project.

Here's the quilt Grandma finished and hid away for me about 24 years ago.

(Thanks to the Hub for posing with it. ;-)

I remember her asking me what my favorite colors were. I told her they were blue and green. They still are. I feel a rush of warmth and love every time I touch the soft, age worn fabric of this beautiful blanket. I imagine that she intended it to remind me of her love. It does.

I can't believe how perfect and tiny each stitch is. She was truly an artist.

I'm so proud of my Pennsylvania Dutch roots, and even more proud of the Grandma who helps me remember them. I always think of my infertility as the wake-up call in my life. It's the reminder that I can't always be so lucky and can't have everything go my way. Because honestly, I have been so incredibly blessed in my family, my marriage and just life in general that I almost wasn't surprised that I should have a big hurdle like this to humble me.

My first, and one of her last...
Someday, I intend to do the same for my grandchildren.