I spent more than 50 hours knitting a baby blanket for my sister-in-law’s upcoming shower, pouring love into every single stitch. I imagined it being cherished for years, maybe even passed down as a family heirloom. But instead of gratitude, my gift was mocked. What happened next, however, turned the entire party upside down.
It all began weeks earlier with an email: “Baby Shower Registry — Please Review!”
When I opened it, my heart sank. Maggie, my brother’s wife, had carefully curated a list of luxury items that looked like something straight out of a celebrity nursery catalog. A $1,200 stroller. A $500 bassinet. A $400 high chair. A $300 diaper bag. Each item was more extravagant than the last.
As a single mom raising twins on a teacher’s salary, I knew I couldn’t compete with that. But then I saw the basket of merino wool in the corner of my living room. My grandmother had taught me to knit, and through the years it became my therapy and my way of showing love. That’s when I decided: if I couldn’t buy expensive, I would create priceless.
For three weeks, I worked late into the night after my kids were asleep. I knitted by lamplight, row after row, carefully adding lace patterns and embroidering the baby’s name in one corner. By the time I tied a ribbon around the finished blanket, my hands ached, but my heart felt proud.
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