My Year of Meaningful (2011)

I've only told a couple of people about this so far, I still feel weird "bragging" about it... if that's what you call it... I dunno... anyway:

A couple weeks ago when we were in SouthAfrica with the family P., my "ma" bestowed probably one of the biggest honors upon me I've ever experienced.... the last time we were there with her, the year before, she had taken up knitting again. It was something she'd done when her boys were little but basically got "knitted out" or something, so took a break for 20 or so years.

Anyway back on the knitting wagon again, she said she was thinking of making me and the Mr. a blanket. She is ALWAYS knitting for her only grandkid and so I just sorta assumed that said kid would be the only beneficiary of her fiberous love, and that's just the way it is. So I said WOW! and she asked me a couple of colour-related questions and that was the last we heard of said knitting project.

Now see, I've never had anyone make anything for me EVER, by hand. I don't know, maybe I just don't come off as a "appreciates hand crafted stuff" kind of gal or something (which is totally untrue, I am after all, a pisces!) but basically the last thing anyone ever made for me was my dad's paper mache halloween costumes (2) between the ages of 5-8. My favorite grandmother quilted ALL us grandkids a baby quilt when we were born, but she did that for 12 kids, and my mother still won't even let me get my hands on that thing anyway so I technically dont even have it in my possession.

Right, so maybe now it's more obvious why I nearly broke down in tears when Ma P. presented this to us at the house, the night before we came up here to Bots. I never appreciated knitting so much before in my life, and this really means something on so many levels

1) she let me know that there were literally HOURS of rugby and cricket woven into this blanket (she knits while she watches sports). Being a sports addict myself, this couldn't be more special to me. Particularly because we share the same favorite pro-rugby and cricket teams... not to mention several of those very same games I was watching at the same exact time, half a world away, in Ireland!

2) she used this fluffy boarder thing around the outside of the blanket out of a rather nice & pricy (so I'm told) chenille-type yarn that feels as fuzzy as a baby bunny in a nest of baby puppies. It was the first thing she ever knitted using this particular FIBRE (check the lingo, S!), not even precious package grandkid or daughters-in-law who have (up til now!) been her only subjects for such handiwork. I feel so. . . honoured

3) I didn't even tell her what colour or pattern to use, but she just knows me so well it's unbelievable. I have a biological mother who would've knitted me something that she thinks i SHOULD like because that's what SHE likes, whereas Ma P. puts 2 and 2 together (I said "neutrals" when she asked) and goes with the exact same colours that I have in mind for using in our new "African" themed bedroom. Unreal. And let's not forget the minimalist approach to patterns and textures. It's simple, it's minimal, it's not cliche (I was expecting checkerboards or something, whenever I picture a knitted blanket), and there's one simple diamond in the middle that is white (not off-white like the rest) which is just brilliant.

4) No one has ever sewed so much as a button on something for me in my life! (That Hansel and Gretel costume by friend's mom in 6th grade doesnt count-- that was for the benefit of the theatre. not me.)

I love it so much and I just welled up inside when she presented it to me. It may not be everyone's cup of tea (well maybe not even mine up until I had it in my hands?) but there is so much meaning behind it that I can say I have really, really, really been moved by a blanket. Crazy.