This morning I woke before sunrise to get ready for a trip. There was a cat to pill, coffee to be made, and one last run through my check list to be sure I had everything I needed for my travels including some yarn and hooks and other crochet comforts I take with me when I am away from home.

After leaving our car at the “On Time Parking” (aka the “best parking on planet earth”) the shuttle driver promptly delivered us to the terminal we needed. With a quick airport breakfast and a delicious cup of “Black Lighting Organic Coffee,” it was time to get to the gate for boarding and in so doing, I passed the bathroom where I first saw Judy Chicago.

One thing I love about New Mexico is that you never know what you’re going to find, and airport bathrooms are no exception, and it turns out that this “feature” of New Mexico that I love so much is a feature that is shared with LAX.

After debarking the plane and making my way toward the baggage claim, I came across a woman who was carrying this crochet tote bag:

I asked her if she had made it, and she said, no. It turned out that the massive and lovely textured crochet bag was her mother’s handiwork. The side panels were a bit more modest, but lovely and fully functional.

With my work documenting the tote bag done, I decided to go back to the gate where I had debarked in hopes of tracking down a woman who had an iconic crochet ripple blanket with her. I had not approached her because she was sleeping, but I was hoping against hope she had wakened.

Lucky for me, she had, and when I asked if she would allow me to photograph her blanket, she said yes:

Obviously, this crochet ripple blanket has seen a lot of what the world has to offer. Crocheted circa 1965, it was an anniversary gift to the parents of the now almost 42-year-old woman to whom it belongs.

She explained to me that it ended up being her baby blanket, and she still sleeps with it.

So to everyone who crocheters, when you make something, take the time to find someone who will use it and treasure it because there are people who want to bring along the crochet comforts of home and will treasure your handiwork.