Five Minutes in the Kitchen/Grandparents Day

Had my first Guild meeting for the year.  (The Guild year is like the school year, September through May)  Meeting up with these amazing women again is a treat for me.  Imagine 20 women reconnecting after a long summer break.  We are so happy to be together.  Then the business of our Guild starts...we pray, we work and we laugh.
When the business is done, we share.

 

Theresa, a generous and crafty sister made me a crochet potholder/trivet.  I liked it so much, but could not figure out how it was made.  I usually can look at something, and figure it out... This little potholder had a secret, and Theresa shared it with me.

 

There isn't a pattern, you just chain.  (I think I chained 30, with a G hook, finished size was 5x5 inches) Then, when you are finished making your chain you single crochet the length of it.  When you get to the end, you don't turn back to single crochet over the row of single crochet, you turn to the other side, the chain side, and keep on single crocheting.  As you progress to the next row you just pick up the bottom of the stitch, and continue to single crochet.

 

Pretty soon you have a pocket, and when the pocket is tall enough...


 

You can fold it over, like this.

 

After whip stitching the ends together you get this cool potholder/ trivet. I learned it in five minutes in our hostess Jeanie's kitchen.  I came home, parked myself in front of the TV to watch President Obama's speech, with crochet hook in hand.  I brought the almost finished potholder upstairs to finish, and completed it this morning in bed.

Thanks for sharing your Grandma's pattern with me Theresa.  Another cute and useful craft that would make a great gift... and made larger could be a great pillow too!

Speaking of Grandmothers...
It's my first Grandparent Day!

Did you know that President Jimmy Carter first declared Grandparents Day a national holiday in 1978.  His call was to reflect on the impact that grandparents have on our own lives.

I've mentioned countless times, my Buscia.  My Mother's mother, she always lived close by or with us until she passed when I was  just 14.  She came to America  from Poland, by herself, when she was a young women.  Married my Grandfather, had 4 children, and before all her children were grown, was widowed.  She worked as a cleaning lady to feed her children, leaving them each night to clean office buildings in the Loop. (downtown Chicago)  Being young when she passed, I wish I had known to ask about her life in Poland.  How she came to America, how she could leave her own parents for a uncertain new life.  The legacy that she left me is vast, faith, traditions, creativity... Buscia taught me to crochet at 5 years old.  I made a chain around the world ;-), and  though it was many years before I actually crocheted,  I learned from her beautiful hands.  My love of growing things came from her, pride in my heritage, fear of storms came, I'm sure from Buscia too. I see her hands when I make pierogi, hear her laugh whenever I see someone making sausage on TV...(a story for another day)  I  know I always felt loved by her, and safe in her ample bosom.

I hope that my grand daughter Penny will have sweet, warm and happy memories of her old Grandma Penny.  That the thousand of little memories we will share in her life make her remember me and dear Grandpa with Love. It will be a very happy first Grandparents Day for us. Love you Penny!

Happy Granparents Day to all my friends that are Grandmothers.  Have a great weekend my friends,  Thanks for visiting!