The mother-in-law blanket

I love my bedroom. The walls are a warm toasty caramel color, the furniture is mission style oak, the floors are original 1949 hardwood and the bedding and valances match. I made the duvet cover out of burgundy paisley sateen and sewed my very first piping along the seams. The back is a repurposed burgundy sheet. The valances are covered in a coordinating paisley fabric with burgundy sheet corners and burgundy braid separating the two fabrics.

It’s warm. It’s harmonious. In spite of the large dog crates that say “dogs live here” it is a comforting room 6 months out of the year.

And then summer rolls around. The blanket and duvet cover go under the bed and we pull out the mother-in-law blanket.

My MIL was a nurse who worked the night shift and on those fortunate nights when the patients were asleep she crocheted to pass the time. Her favorite pattern was the “ripple” – done in stripes. Our blanket is queen sized and must have taken hours to make. It is an electric orange and grey stripe dacron yarn that has worn like iron and will outlast my lifetime. It is heavy and a bit scratchy and requires a trip to the laundromat for washing. It could easily take down my washing machine in the first few minutes of agitation.

I am a crafty woman myself and I appreciate the time and effort spent in making this item. I’ve tried, and failed to successfully learn the ripple pattern. Every time I look at the blanket, I feel an ungrateful pang because it is so UGLY. Those colors! That yarn! It’s so heavy! I kind of hate it.

But I haven’t made a duvet cover for it, or swapped it out with my blanket inside my tasteful burgundy paisley cover. I cringe at the orange, but I remind myself that this was probably made in the late 70’s time period with affordable yarn. It is scratchy but strong. It is unapologetically a blanket, utilitarian and strong. It was made with love for a younger son who used it faithfully until I came in his life.

I align the stripes and ripples along the foot of the bed. We will push it almost off the bed as we toss and turn and try to get comfortable in the summer heat. Around 4 in the morning one of us (usually me) will grab a corner and pull it up for warmth. This blanket works. And it is filled with memories of an iron willed woman who worked a difficult job and raised two successful men. I am honored to shelter in its warm. I bring it out to remember.

8/5/19

dsh