I’ve put off writing this post for a while. In fact, I had it on my calendar to write this a month ago, but had trouble facing it. Today, even though I’m going to show you a lovely project, I’m going to write about a tough subject for some of us crafters–our memories are tied up in our makes (which is why I chose this blog’s name), but not all of those memories are good ones.
The project is a spritely little poncho I started making for the fabulous Miss E a year ago. I love the rainbow colors and I think she will too. This is a photo of the first half.
So many memories are tied up in this little wrap, and some of them aren’t great. I started it while my family was staying two nights in an evacuation shelter because Hurricane Irma was bearing down on our part of the world. We live in a mandatory evacuation zone and my husband had to help run a shelter, so myself and our son joined him there. I knew I would need to do something with my hands or go crazy, so I grabbed this yarn and a pattern as we left the house that I wasn’t sure would be standing when we returned. Seriously. Right before we left, I took photos of every room to document our possessions for the insurance company. For nearly 48 hours, I watched the dire predictions and wondered how we would deal with the devastation that seemed inevitable. And yes, I stitched the hours away because that is how I mitigate stress. I finished almost half of the little poncho during those two days. This is a photo of the little pallet we made on the floor of the shelter, and you can see the start of the poncho on top of the quilt.
And then, in the midst of all that waiting and watching, something wonderful happened, for us at least. The storm weakened just enough and turned just enough that our area, while enduring some damage, came out pretty well. When we left the shelter and returned home, everything was just as we left. We even had electricity. As I walked into the final room to check for damage, I let out a little yelp. My son came running, terrified something was wrong. No, I said, these are tears of joy. Nonetheless, while I was happy for us, I was sad for those who experienced great devastation. When you live in the path of hurricanes, you’re always aware that your gain is probably someone else’s loss.
After that, I set the poncho aside for other projects. Looking at it reminded me of an unhappy time, and I didn’t want to pick it back up. A year has gone by, though, and I’ve returned to this project in hopes of finishing it for Miss E’s 4th birthday. Now, when I look at it, I remember the tough days when I started it, but I also think about how making this little poncho kept my mind occupied and how much joy it will ultimately bring an adorable little girl.
So, if you’re a crafter (and you probably are if you’re here!), don’t hesitate to grab a ball of yarn or some embroidery floss the next time stress invades your life. The stitches may not come out perfectly, but you’ll always know that your makes saved your sanity on a rough stretch of road.