Granny Square for Grandma

Last summer, I sent my grandma in Toronto one of my earliest crochet creations. Here she is, posing with my first apple:


According to my mom, my grandma examined the apple for a long time before saying, in Cantonese: "When you can crochet in circles, you can make anything."

It was only then that I learned of my grandma's ability to crochet, a skill she learned in her forties. Here are some of her crocheted flowers:


She also practiced the thousand-year-old art of Chinese Knotting. Here is her knot work:


And here is her ceramic work:


These beautiful creations―all made after she retired from her silk-flower shop―remind me that new skills can be learned at any age. And although she didn't teach me to crochet, my grandma raised her children to follow their artistic interests. In turn, my mom's encouragement led to my artistic pursuits, including crochet.

My grandma passed away last month at the age of 93.

As a last gift, I made her my first granny square:


This coaster-sized basket-weave pattern is from the book, Beyond-the-Square Crochet Motifs. I added a second square as a backing, which allowed me to include a farewell & thank-you note inside its pillow shape.

I'll always remember my grandma's sunny spirit, and cherish the creative connection that we shared.