When I was about 10, or perhaps even only 8, I started to learn various needle arts--knitting, crocheting, sewing, needlepoint, embroidery. My mom taught me the basics of hand- and machine-sewing. Her mother, my Nanna, taught me to crochet and some knitting. She would make lap blankets for the "old people" at the hospital she had worked at, when she, herself, was in her 70s and 80s. In training, I helped her a little bit and made the granny squares for my own blanket, which she put together for me. I think I was 12 or 13 by this time.
Fast forward to when I was having my own children. I picked up the crochet hook again to make blankies for my own and for my siblings kids and for friends, occasionally making larger ones. We started calling them all "woobies," after the movie, Mr. Mom. I only know of the reference; I still haven't seen the flick.
Then I started making more, keeping them in-stock for the baby showers that were in abundance at the time. They would get out of hand and I'd pass some to my mom, who worked at various hospitals during her long career as a nurse. They landed in patient's laps once again, or cuddled a newborn headed home. I have letters from one of the hospitals for my donations. I've given them to social organizations, homeless shelters and others so that anybody that needs one can have a woobie. The American Cancer Society raffled one once: they made $505.
My daughter comes around and sifts through the stack I have on hand, yet again, for when baby showers pop up for her friends. "We" tried crochet, but it's not quite her thing.
I make some piecing fabrics, which sometimes goes faster than crochet. But I can crochet any time, anywhere, just about. I try not to drive and crochet. It sometimes feels like I do it in my sleep, but I haven't quite figured that out yet.
I started adding up how many I've made and at December 2013 I had completed 445. My big goal for 2014 was to make 55, to bring the total to 500. It seemed a proper commemoration of my being on this planet for 55 years.
I sewed a bunch right off, maybe 20 early on, so it seemed possible. By the end of December I was at number 499, working on one for myself, for a change, at Christmas. Then, I volunteered to take care of my parents after my mom had surgery. I had less than one row to go!
I was on a jet plane flying to New England without it.
It ended up I procured some yarn while I was there, which is good as there was a lot of downtime. I managed to finish that one that week! The magic Woobie 500! After Christmas, I went in search of more yarn and made yet another before I headed home. These two are with them, hopefully offering comfort for my mom's recovery and keeping them warm. Temperatures in the minus category?! (I saw -12, windchill -29 while I was there. BRR!)
The thing is: no one is too old for good old-fashioned comfort, you know?
I got home and finished the blanket-sized one I had been working on, which Sleeping Man just adores (even if it's in shades of pink!) and started working on another stack of woobies. I can tell you I'm not looking to hit any more milestones quite like this, anytime soon, but I'm glad I did.
Maybe the next one will be mine to keep?!
And there you have it: this is my story and I'm sticking to it!
c
January 2015
Not that I'm still concerned about numbers but I'm still keeping track:
August 2015: 512
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| No, 510 |
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