As previously posted, the blanketa is finished. The earliest posting I could find on the blanket was October 22nd, 2008. I’m pretty sure I started it in early October. Most of the yarn used was from a HUGE cardboard box of crappy yarn that no one wanted. No one but me, that is. In fact, all of the yarn used in this blanket (with the exception of the bright turquoise and the palest green used) was unwanted yarn. Several people donated from their get-rid-of-it stash, and I’d like to thank them. Stephanie Krehbiel, Jeana Lyles, and Chela Ingram made this blanket possible. I’d also like to thank the old lady for the Big Box O’ Acrylic, but I don’t have her name and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t read this blog.
This was seriously a labor (I mean LABOR) of love and vision. When the giant box of yarn first came to my house, Dee Anna saw it and was horrified. It was some seriously disgusting stuff. I looked at it and thought that I would just donate it to the Goodwill, rather than waste my time trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. (To my knowledge the only thing you can make out of a sow’s ear is a doggy chewy toy, which makes me want to retch all my raisin bran up this morning.) I don’t know what made me think, yeah, I’m going to take on the most massive project of my entire knitting career. It must have been my insanity, the impending winter, and the draftiness of my old house.
This blanket is so sweet to me. And not the frat boy definition of, “SUH-WEET.” Like, sweet in that it pulls at my heart. There is some of my soul in that blanket. I guess it’s kind of how I look at God. He takes something ugly and destined for the trash bin and turns it into something useful and beautiful. There, that’s about as religious as I’m going to get EVER on this blog, but that’s how I feel about this blanket. After 4 months of working on it, getting frustrated with it, taking weeks long breaks on it, it is finished. It is a part of me. I’ve decided when Evie and Veronica learn how to knit (and they WILL, it’s not optional) we will all make squares for their blankets that they can take with them when they go to college or get places of their own. It will become a family tradition. And when they have children, we will make blankets for them.
Even as I look at it, spread out on my floor right now, it makes me tear up with emotion. It’s become a friend, it’s been hanging around this place for so long. It has become a repository of my ambition, tenacity, patience, perseverance and pride. Sure, most will look at it and say, “Huh? It’s just a blanket.” But if you’re a knitter, I feel that you understand. Knitting goes beyond a hobby for me. It is a way of life. It is a way of shutting out modern conveniences, tuning out the background noises, sitting down with loved ones and good friends and really listening. Listening to each other pour out our lives. And even when no one else was there while I was diligently knitting square after square, I listened to me. I thought my own thoughts and relished the meditative process of simply counting the stitches until decreasing. I am happy I did it. More than once, I wanted to put it down, but blankets don’t let you do that. They stare at you longingly, and gently remind you that they could envelope you in warmth, if you would pick up your damn needles and just keep working.
My hands ache. I’ve had more than one backache and neck ache during this process, but I’ve reached the goal. I’ve crossed that finish line. More than anything, this blanket has shown me the best aspects of my personality, and that means a lot to a woman who has self-esteem issues. There is still a lot of yarn I have left. I plan on making more squares (but not of the mitered variety) for more blankets to donate to the Women’s Crisis Center. I feel that making blankets for others is going to be my thing. That’s my charity. It’s what I’m good at. And now I would like to share some pictures with you.
It’s just beautiful!!
Thank you! 🙂
Congratulations! It probably feels like you’ve knit a mountain, but it was worth it.
that is AMAZING !!! you freaking rule !
Dear Lord. I hope I never have to knit a mountain cozy! 🙂
Thanks, Shannon!
That thing is huge!
AWESOME!!!!!! I love it!
I know how much work that was and I can’t believe it is done, has it really been 4 months? You kick ass.
Dee Anna
You and your blanketa kick a twenty-mule team’s worth of ass!
Amazing blanket, and a beautifully written post too. Congratulations! I want to see it in person sometime.
Thank you Audrey and Stephanie! I’ve been whoring out this blanket all over the internetz today. I would LOVE to show it off in person. Maybe we can have a movie night at my house sometime.
that turned out awesome! I hope you enjoy many nights snuggled under blanketa.
[…] My AWESOME mother-in-law came up and watched the girls for us Saturday and I asked her to bring a blanket I made for her about 3 years back. I wanted to take pictures and post it to show y’all! I have actually made two of these (my sister has the other one). It is comprised of 42? (can’t remember) squares, using crochet. Basically just chaining and popcorn stitch. It’s made out of Red Heart acrylic in off-white. The pattern came from a crochet leaflet from Leisure Arts (obtained from my mom!) that I would bet money on it’s out of print. I really like it though. I would like to make one in red for my bedroom some day. It took a long time, but would probably seem really fast after MONSTER BLANKETA. […]