Where are they now? - 2KCBWDAY4
Where are they now?
Whatever happened to your __________?
Write about the fate of a past knitting project. Whether it be something that you crocheted or knitted for yourself or to give to another person. An item that lives with you or something which you sent off to charity.
I have given many many knitted gifts to people throughout my life, ex-boyfriends, ex-boyfriend's mothers, family members, friends, and even a cat. (Don't judge!) One of the projects that I think really meant the most, I actually do not know what happened to it. Back in, let's say 2003, a few years after I started my knitting again, I was on a big blanket making binge. I would specifically use Lion Brand's Homespun. I made several, one for myself, one for an ex, and the most important one of all, one for my late Grammie.
(Sorry if this part runs long, it is hard not to. I will eventually get to the point.)
My Grammie was a huge part of my life. Until I was in my early teens my father was active in the Navy, more often than not deployed for 6 months or more to places he really could not tell us about. From what I remember, since he wouldn't be in the country, or on his base for long periods of time, and since my Grammie was living alone in the house that my mom (and my Grammie) had grown up in, it was decided that my mom, my younger sister and I would live with my Grammie.
My Grammie wasn't the easiest person to get along with, she was stubborn, and no one got through to her. But she was also strong. Her mother died while she was young, so she helped her father run their farm during the Depression instead of becoming a librarian. She got married in her late 30's to my grandfather who was about 20 years older than her, and also had a daughter my Grammie's age. My grandfather died when my mom was 14, leaving my Grammie to go out to work to support her children. She got a job a the elementary school down the street as a lunch lady, and she still had that job when I was in school there. She would inevitably pay for my lunch (as I often forgot money) or buy me ice cream as a treat, and she would also bring my saxophone home for me so I did not have to take it on the bus. To this day past classmates still say how awesome she was (she did sell the ice cream after all).
My mother worked full time and was getting her Master's degree, so my Grammie would cook the meals and take care of my sister and I at night. Because of a very traumatic incident I was deathly afraid of thunderstorms, but she would sit with me and keep me occupied until they were done. When I got really sick with my CFS, she did her best to keep me fed and hydrated and checked on me during the day. She is the reason I have such a huge love of reading (for such a religious woman, she is the one who gave me those Fabio covered romance books while I was in the 3rd grade!) She also taught me how to knit while I was 7. She patiently taught me how to knit, patiently re-cast on for the hundreth time, and taught me how to bind off.
As she grew older her stubborness grew even worse, but I was the only one who could stand up to her, and she would back down. We wanted to finally get a dog when I was 16, she said no, I said we were getting one anyways. She loved that dog so damn much after only a few days. When I moved out on my own for the first time after college, after much begging pleading and crying (on my part), she gave me the first and last month's rent for my apartment, and money to get a futon and kitchen supplies. She said I had to pay her back, but she refused payments. She was always there.
While I was in college, on the blanket binge, I knit her an afghan in a rose color (my stash is full of skeins of yarn I never got to use for her). She loved it. Whenever she went into the hospital she always made sure we brought it to her. She had it on her chair to cover up with at home. It went with her for the short period of time she had to spend in the nursing home until we found a new house big enough for all of us, and her new medical necessities. Sadly that house I thought I would one day raise a family in, was sold. But in the new house, she and I shared the "parent's-in-law" addition. This was after my CFS relapsed to the point where I couldn't work or live on my own anymore. I think that was the best thing that happened to me. I moved back home, I helped take of my Grammie, bathing, cooking her meals, and our daily ritual of watching "Ellen" and "The View", then we each napped in the afternoon. I would knit during these times, and she would watch me, ask me what I was making, and constantly check it since she could no longer knit. I am extremely thankful for those 4 months.
Almost four years ago my Grammie checked into the hospital for a minor infection, but never left. We brought her all of her things, including the requested afghan. Two weeks later we knew it was time, and I whispered in her ear that I loved her, that I was so thankful for her passing on her love of knitting and reading to me, and that it was okay to go. I left the room, I couldn't stay, and my friends took me to try to get me to eat. While eating I started to have a major panic attack. My mother called me 10 minutes later, and I found out that the exact moment I had the panic attack was when my Grammie died.
After she passed away, and we were going through her belongings, and there was the afghan. My mom asked me if I wanted it, but at the time it was too painful, I said no, and I think they decided to donate it. I don't know where it ended it up, I just hope that someone loves it as much as my Grammie did.
Sorry for all of that, even though it has been about 4 years, my birthday is next week and I miss her so much during that day, she always made it special. Okay, I'll stop now, enough tears.
