The Magic Blanket

A few years ago I started working on a blanket for myself. I realized that everything I made I gifted to others. I love making things out of yarn and giving them to friends and family and since I'm slow at EVERYTHING, including crocheting, I never had time to make something for myself. So I decided to make a blanket for our bed. This was also around the time that I had become aware of my infertility issues.

Crocheting has always been a great release for me. The rhythm of the patterns and stitches is soothing and relaxing. And so perhaps I threw myself into such a great project at that time in an effort to distract myself. Perhaps. Sounds like something my subconscious would do. About a year after starting this project I found out I was pregnant. Joy of joys, and wonder of wonders! And what better gift to myself than to finish this blanket that I was SLOWLY working on (typical Susanne). So I challenged myself to finish this beast before the birth on my first son.

I tried. I really did, but I failed. And the following two years found me overwhelmed by the chaos of raising my sparkler child (this is how La Leche League refers to a child like mine, as opposed to the titles that have crossed my mind like "monster" or "demon child,"- way more P.C. and gracious). But I would try from time to time to pick up my blanket and get a row in. Then my son would scream, cry, get into/climb on/put into his mouth something he was not supposed to, and that was that.

So when I found out I was pregnant again, I challenged myself to FINISH THE BLANKET! Because if I didn't get it done now, I probably never would. So I enlisted the help of my husband and figured that if I completed two rows a week I would be done three weeks before the baby was due. And with my plan in place I made great progress in the beginning, but old habits crept back in and I found myself more and more behind schedule.

I found a surge of motivation the last month and a half of my pregnancy. I was so close to finishing, it would be down to the wire and so very close to my due date. And then, with only two more rows remaining, I went into labor 5 days early. My labor was long (again) and when 12 hours came and went I decided I needed to be distracted. Enter the nearly finished blanket to the rescue!!! I sat on my birthing ball and worked, focusing on my stitches as the contractions began, breathing through the contractions, and picking up the stitches when they passed. The imminent arrival of my baby pushed me to work quickly and diligently (only his arrival really wasn't as close as I had imagined, and I would be in labor for much longer than I had ever expected for this, my second time around). And I finished!!! I did it!!!

The only thing left is to hide the tails in each row, but I still think this counts as being done. (I hate hiding tails, and I have no idea how long it will take me to finish that- years I suspect). I love the way it came out, and I love that I have this story that goes along with this blanket. It will forever remind me of that sacred and primal time when my body and my son worked together so I could hold my baby in my arms and look into his precious eyes- Magic. The magic blanket.