I received this incredible gift this past weekend from my mom’s cousin, Janez. This blanket was crocheted by my maternal great-grandmother, Rose. I never knew my great-grandmother, so to have a piece of her work knowing we share this bond and love of crochet, leaves me humbled and speechless. Here is a photo of my great-grandmother, Rose in her later years.
There are no words to describe how much this means to me. Thank you, thank you, Janez. I love this so much!
I was told several times how my great-grandmother loved to crochet. Many conversations with my mom revolved around the fact that I must have inherited some of my talents from her. Until I received this gift, did it really hit me that I actually did share this with her. Even though I never knew her, it gave me chills to know that part of her lives on in me.
Having never known her, this gift opened up a discussion about my great grandmother on things I never knew. My mom and her cousin shared photos with me. I was able to see her wedding photos and photos of her youth.
I heard she had crocheted her entire life. That was something she truly enjoyed. Everyone received homemade gifts from her for Christmas and other holidays.
This piece is incredible
First off, I am going to guess the age of this blanket is approximately 40 years old. Upon examining it, I could not identify the exact fiber, but I believe that it is an acrylic blend fiber that is very heavy! The workmanship is impeccable and her squares are perfect. She didn’t turn her work and she slip-stitched the squares together to form the blanket. Each square measures 8 inches and overall, the dimensions are 40 inches X 56 inches. Her granny squares are on point!! After 365 Days of creating granny squares, I feel like I’ve come full circle receiving this granny square blanket that is so special!!
Not only did I spend time learning to read her techniques through her stitches, but knowing that she spent time lovingly constructing this with her own hands was pretty incredible.
It is a treasure that I plan to keep for a lifetime.
Sometimes the smallest gestures mean the most. I can never express how much Janez’s gift means to me. There are no words that relay the magnitude of how special this is.
“The love in our family flows strong and deep, leaving us memories to treasure and keep.” ~Unknown
~Nadia