My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was 14, and I know she would be proud that I’ve continued a part of her legacy in some small way.
I’m Andrea, and I have been an elementary school teacher in Georgia for 30 years. My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was 14 years old, and I’ve been doing it off and on throughout the years. The first afghan I made was at her house. It was a gigantic blue and white granny square, and I still have it!
The next blanket I remember making was for my nephew when he was born. Since I didn’t really care for the feel of the yarn or the way my toes always poked through afghans, I decided to put a backing on all of my blankets. Baby flannel fabric worked well on the back of baby blankets, and then I anchored it with knots of matching yarn. Next, I branched out and made blankets with a coordinating fabric for adults. I began making blankets for close friends and family members. Shortly after I was married, my dear grandmother had a stroke. I flew to her side in the hospital in Memphis, Tennessee and stayed with her in hospital rehab for 6 weeks. Every evening in her room, I worked on making a blanket for her. She was home and doing well when I put the final stitches to attach the backing to the blanket. She passed away several years later, and I still have that blanket.
Then the yarn industry began to offer many more varieties of yarn, and I found Bernat Blanket Yarn. It’s a chenille yarn that is softer than velvet, and it works up well. In years past, I’ve made blankets for my best friends and as retirement and wedding gifts. People tell me that they use them almost every day, and that truly warms my heart. It’s what I believe every “fiber artist” and crafter wants to hear. I recently texted a friend because I happened to think that maybe I hadn’t yet made a fabric-backed “Andrea” blanket for her. She immediately responded with a picture of her lap with one of my blankets on top! ‘Nuf said.
The next blanket I remember making was for my nephew when he was born. Since I didn’t really care for the feel of the yarn or the way my toes always poked through afghans, I decided to put a backing on all of my blankets. Baby flannel fabric worked well on the back of baby blankets, and then I anchored it with knots of matching yarn. Next, I branched out and made blankets with a coordinating fabric for adults. I began making blankets for close friends and family members. Shortly after I was married, my dear grandmother had a stroke. I flew to her side in the hospital in Memphis, Tennessee and stayed with her in hospital rehab for 6 weeks. Every evening in her room, I worked on making a blanket for her. She was home and doing well when I put the final stitches to attach the backing to the blanket. She passed away several years later, and I still have that blanket.
Then the yarn industry began to offer many more varieties of yarn, and I found Bernat Blanket Yarn. It’s a chenille yarn that is softer than velvet, and it works up well. In years past, I’ve made blankets for my best friends and as retirement and wedding gifts. People tell me that they use them almost every day, and that truly warms my heart. It’s what I believe every “fiber artist” and crafter wants to hear. I recently texted a friend because I happened to think that maybe I hadn’t yet made a fabric-backed “Andrea” blanket for her. She immediately responded with a picture of her lap with one of my blankets on top! ‘Nuf said.