A Someday Blanket: Crochet Finish

Howdy y'all! Back again with the last finish from the end of 2017 *finally*. Long before I became Little Black Cat Quilting, I was just Jennifer. And I loooooved to crochet. I learned when I was pretty young, but I feel like I hit my stride in late high school and college. During college, I had a group of friends I would often crochet with and I loved making fiddly little toys and such, even making some patterns of my own!

This project was started with the most hopeful of intentions. I was engaged and had big dreams for the future - happily married, kids, white picket fence - the whole nine yards. I picked up this yarn on the clearance rack when I worked at Hobby Lobby one summer (I miss that employee discount still! LOL) and started crocheting this lovely curved chevron. It was slow going with the baby weight yarn and tiny hook, but I loved going through a few rows when I had the chance. I didn't mind slow growth because there was no rush.

At a point in my marriage when things were going south, this project was hidden away, stuffed in a bag and buried. I was terrified of having children with my then-husband. The very thought gave me the shakes and nearly made me sick. Children are a gift from God, but I prayed to not bring a child into the situation I was in. Thankfully, that prayer was answered. :)

Digging through my craft supplies after moving back home, I unearthed this unfinished baby afghan. The sight of it left a sour taste in my mouth. Standing in the garage, my bare feet aching on the cold concrete floor, this afghan reminded me of how alone I felt. There was no sweet baby girl waiting to be wrapped up. There was no pregnant belly stretching my shirt in expectation of this project. Instead, I was single and living at home. I was as far from my dream when I bought this yarn as I had ever been.

And yet...I brought it inside and placed it beside my usual spot on the couch. I started chipping away at it in the evenings, row after row. Sometimes working on it made me sad, tugging at my gut in the cruelest way. But I reminded myself it was a Someday Blanket. Someday it would have a home. Someday it would wrap up a daughter or niece. Or, when I'm ready to let go, it will wrap up a baby in need of yarny snuggles. Regardless, reminding myself that this little afghan is a Someday project instead of a Right Now project helped ease those last stitches into place. And I'm proud to say I even smiled when the last yarn end was weaved in.