I remember Snuggles. I remember it made me feel safe. Its soft texture calmed me down. I remember the smooth surface against my skin, and the smell of the fabric. My favourite pillow — covered in little pictures of Big Bird from Sesame Street.
A toddler’s best friend is, most often, a soft material item. It can be a teddy bear, a blanket, or like mine, a pillow.
The unfortunate thing about my pillow, Snuggles, is that it was worn out from all of the trips it took with me — I carried it everywhere. I remember I was five when I lost Snuggles. Suddenly, one day, I couldn’t find it. And after searching for hours, my mom finally confessed that she threw it out.
I don’t know that I ever fully got over the loss of this source of comfort — especially considering the fact that my firstborn inherited her daddy’s baby blanket. One that he took with him everywhere as a child. It survived his reckless ways of playing with it and is still with us now that our oldest is four years old.
The difference between my husband’s childhood blanket and my childhood pillow is not inherent in the item itself. It is, rather, the quality of how it was made. My Big Bird pillow was factory-made. My husband’s blanket was handmade by his mom.
There’s no comparison when it comes to a handmade item versus a factory-made one. A handmade item has the focused attention of its maker. Its quality is intended to last for generations to come.
Angie is designer and creator of Verna and Bertie, a small shop named after Angie’s grandparents, who inspired her love for hand-dyeing wool and crocheting quality items for babies. Verna and Bertie presents yarn of unique colors and designs, for artists seeking a broad range of creative options. It also offers quality handmade hats and blankets for babies.
I’m so impressed at the patterns of color within this blanket, and the way the stitches flow seamlessly into each other. The blanket does not have a single strand of loose yarn dangling from it. It is sturdy enough for a toddler to run around and play with, and yet soft enough for cuddles.
This blanket is one I can picture sharing with my grandchildren: A family heirloom to stand the test of time.
Verna and Bertie is the place to go for quality yarn to try your hand at crocheting/knitting as well as hand made items by Angie. Click Here to shop!
