For Her Grandbabies

My Grandmother, my Father's Mother, began having children a few years before the Great Depression began.  In 1929, as the depression began, she and my grandfather were expecting their sixth child.  Getting through the depression with a young family emphasized to her the need to be frugal and make things last.  There were a few running jokes in the family about her efficiency in making things last and getting the full value out of whatever it was.  My grandparents  lived on a farm so they, in many ways, were self sufficient, raising almost everything the family needed.  But it was still important to not waste anything, to make everything last as much as possible.

1917

1959

It wasn't until many years later that I came along and got acquainted with her. At that point, the urgent need to make everything stretch was long gone but there were still a few ingrained habits and practices.  I remember her braiding rag rugs when I was younger.  Every piece of clothe in her house eventually ended up in a rug.  I thought they were cool.  One of the other things I saw constantly was her crocheting.  Her hook and thread were always in her hand if she was sitting, or at least near by.  If you wanted to talk to her, which she was always willing to do, she usually had her hands going as she put an edge on something or another.

Usually baby blankets, pillow cases, doilies, handkerchiefs, or something else.  I was one of the older grandkids so as I was growing up there were lots of other grandbabies joining the family.  And for each one of them, for as long as she was able, she did a baby blanket.  Usually by crocheting a lacy border onto a wool blanket. Some were quite intricate, others more simple.  But she was constantly crocheting if not doing anything else.  It was like her "go to" activity when there was nothing else that needed doing because, goodness knows, it just wouldn't do to sit idle.

 I recently came into possession of some of her work, including one of the many baby blankets she did.  It was wool so it was warm.  The edging was exquisite, fine, detail handwork.  Simple but at the same time, elegant.  Still in very good condition, even after all these years.  It had been well taken care of.

Recently, one of her baby blankets once again had the opportunity to wrap up a cute little baby.  It was fun to watch.  But it was amazing to me, once again, this feels like reaching across the generations.  This particular baby was Schwartzbeere's youngest, one of my grandmother's great, great grandchildren.  At a reunion last summer of my grandparents family it was estimated that there were almost 530 descendants at that point. The reunion was well attended although not all of them had been able to make it to the reunion.  I know this particular one, this sweet little girl, enjoyed her time with her great, great, grandmother's handiwork.