Evelyn's story

My friend Evelyn is weaving the most beautiful baby blanket for her soon-to-be grandbaby. She wanted a story to go with the pictures of her weaving process.

Here is the story I wrote for her. I will post a picture of the blanket soon.

Evelyn's Woven Rainbow

Once, there was a Grandmama who had already fallen in love with a wee little person she hadn't even met yet!

So, she decided that since the leprechauns always left gold at the foot a rainbow that she would weave a rainbow for her soon-to-be grandbaby in hopes that a pot of gold might be left.

She plotted and planned and finally decided the best way to capture the rainbow -- she would weave it!

Grandmama measured and looked at her loom, Barbara. Then, she measured and looked at her fiber. She knew that this new rainbow would have to be very special for her to fool the leprechauns into leaving her a pot of gold for her grandbaby.

Finally, she decided. The rainbow would be different from all the other sky rainbows. It would be soft blues, gentle pinks, mint greens, twilight lavendars and sunshine yellows. Surely, she thought, the leprechauns would be fooled into leaving her gold!

Carefully, she wound off the warp. She counted each wrap carefully because she knew it had to be perfect! If it weren't, the leprechauns might discover her trick!

Next, she began to thread Barbara the loom, carefully arranging the colors so that they would lay next to each other, just as the sky rainbow.

In and through she threaded. As she worked, she hummed a little song to herself. She was so pleased as the colors were threaded onto her special loom. The work went quickly as Barbara was as excited as Grandmama to see the rainbow stretched between her harnesses and beams!

Almost by magic, Barbara the loom was dressed and ready for Grandmama to begin to weave.
Taking a deep breath, Grandmama selected the first color for her weft. It was a lovely pink!

"This is perfect!" she thought to herself. With shaking hands, Grandmama wound her shuttle and sat down the weaving bench.

"Okay, Barbara, let's make something lovely!" she whispered.

Grandmama threw the shuttle. It skimmed the warp and shot out the left side. Grandmama caught it and then beat the first thread of her magic blanket.

Quickly, she began to work. Back and forth went the shuttle.

Thump, thump, thump went the beater bar. Grandmama began to hum her special song again. She imagined the pot of gold and the beautiful baby she already loved wrapped tightly in the rainbow blanket.

As if by magic, a second rainbow, this time from side-to-side appeared. Grandmama was certain that the leprechauns would be so delighted with her blanket that they would leave a pot of gold.
Soft blues, gentle pinks, mint greens, twilight lavendars and sunshine yellows filled the warp. Grandmama paused to admire her work!

"Whew!" she whistled. "This is the most beautiful thing I have ever woven! Surely there are fairies working their magic, too!"

She laughed as she thought about the fairies helping her fool the leprechauns! And she laughed again when she thought of the pot of gold she would have for her grandbaby.

Back and forth she wove. Barbara's heddles seemed to sing Grandmama advanced the warp and wove. Before she knew it, Grandmama was to the end of her warp and it was time to take the blanket off Barbara.

Eagerly she advanced the warp so that she could cut the blanket from the loom. Her scissors shook as she clipped. She could not wait to see her rainbow!

She carefully stitched the ends and tied love knots for the fringe on either end. Each love knot was a kiss for her soon-to-be grandbaby.

"Perfect!" she declared as she smoothed the blanket with her hands. "This has to be the most perfect blanket ever made!"

She kissed the edge of the blanket so that the first time her grandbaby was wrapped in it, she would feel Grandmama's love. Then, she wrapped it all in white tissue paper, placed it in a strong box with a sprig of lavendar and addressed it to her granddaughter. She couldn't wait for the baby to see her rainbow! And, she couldn't wait to see if the leprechauns would leave their pot of gold.

Days came and went. Finally the call came that Grandmama had waited so patiently for. Her grandbaby was finally here!

Grandmama was so excited! But she had an important question.

"Did you use the blanket yet?" she asked.

"Grandmama," her granddaughter whispered. "You won't believe it; when I wrapped the baby in the blanket, she giggled as if she were being kissed."

Grandmama smiled. "And?"

"And, well, you won't laugh, will you?"

"No; I won't."

"A pot of gold wouldn't have made me happier. She is the most perfect baby in the world," her granddaughter chuckled.

Grandmama laughed. The leprechauns hadn't disappointed her! The pot of gold was not gold at all. It was a small baby wrapped in a rainbow all her own!


Do you think the grandbaby will like the story??