Dear Readers,
I am back from a sweet summer visit with family. While building new memories, I also found myself reminiscing on the many memories of my Mom and Grandmother. Although I have no physical memories of her, the stories of my Great Grandmother also arose during this trip. We shared tales of their cooking and nuances of their personalities. Each of them was so unique. Although they did share one common thread. These women had a special craft that they were remarkably gifted at. For my Great Grandmother it was her crocheting, Grandma her knitting, and Mom her sewing.
On this present day the doilies my Great Grandmother crocheted are in each room of my Father’s house, blankets knitted by my Grandmother are on the sofa, and the dresses sewed by my Mom are safely tucked in the cedar closet. The feeling of their spirits radiates through each piece of their craftsmanship. My Mom was always telling stories about the dollies Great Grandma crafted. She could create a doily a day in various shapes and threads. My Mom cherished each piece and proudly used them on every piece of furniture possible. Grandma was a knitter and her blankets kept us warm on those cold winter nights. When I visited her home on Lantern Lane, I would see her current project on the lower shelf of her coffee table. The irony is I never actually saw her knit. I still wish I could have witnessed her creating one her blankets. On the other hand, my Mom’s sewing was a staple part of my childhood. As I wrote in a blog this spring, I spent many hours watching my Mom sew. I still hear her scissors creak and the image of her seated at her Bernina sewing machine with pins in her mouth warms my heart. The calm and joy I witnessed in my Mom is what I imagine my Grandma and Great Grandma radiated when they also created. Most importantly, they loved gifting their creations and seeing them in use by others. For this I am grateful for it’s a wonderful reminder of the beauty they contributed to the world.
As the fourth generation, I take great pride in developing these skills. Crochet came first to me because it was an art that I didn’t see as often in my community. I became entranced with the creative element of it which lead me to my current path. From crochet I have become drawn to knitting to expand my horizons further. As with past generations, the best part is seeing my art out in the world. Every smile I receive encourages me to keep creating and my imagination continues to expand. Although I can’t hear or see them, I believe these three ladies are very proud. I also believe that each night after the kitchen is cleaned and the dishes are done they will retreat to the living room- my Mom hemming a dress, Grandma knitting a blanket, and Great Grandma crocheting a doily.
Love Always,
Kristina Lucia xoxo