Granny's Ball of Twine

Me, Mom and Granny Pruett

This was taken on a July weekend closest to Granny's birthday, the fifth. We always had a family gathering to celebrate. This picture is at the top farm where I grew up in a three generational family. The pond and the orchard behind us no longer exist.  (Eminent Domain is such a dirty word.)

It was a learning house and a loving house and Granny was our center.  It was her unspoken position as the matriarch of the family.  We continue that tradition today and honor our oldest female for the wisdom of her age.

Granny lived with us many years after Grandpa was gone. She wore aprons with pockets that always had something interesting in them;  a rock, a string, a piece of fruit or, on a rare occasion, gum or candy.  Granny's pockets were like a set of encyclopedias, if you looked often you would find just what you were seeking.

What amazed me most was her constant saving of every string of twine she discovered.  Feed sacks and food sacks were both sewn with a seam of twine.  Thicker than regular sewing thread it could be used for a variety of things. The mystery of choosing the right thread or stitch to begin the unraveling eluded me for years but not Granny.

Granny would carefully gather and wind it on to her ever growing ball of twine. When it reached a size she could no longer comfortably hold she began another.  It will be useful one day, she would answer when I asked why she saved ALL the twine.

The uses were miracles I witnessed with Granny.  This twine could hold a June bug by the leg as he flew above your head.  Twine could hold a chicken.  It could help make a kite and it could make doll clothes and dog collars.

Twine made wonderful string games as Granny taught me "Jacob's Ladder" and "Walking The Dog" and other string tricks I've forgotten the name but never the tricks.  This twine could make a button "sing" and even make music if you were as talented as Granny.

Twine held my hair in a braid and it sewed a braided rug together.  Twine patched jeans and could even be used to catch a fish, make your shirt into a sack to carry things and make wonderful braided necklaces.

And it made quilts.  My first quilts were quilted by Granny and her twine.  She could move that needle so quickly and smoothly through the quilt layers on the frame that hung from our living ceiling (you could quilt and when another job arose you would wind the frame close to the ceiling until you could quilt again).

Oh, the things Granny gave me...the gift of imagination, unlimited possibilities, a strong dose of perseverance and a finely honed sense of humor.

When I prepared for marriage Granny was gone. I knew somehow she approved of my choice of life mate.  I carefully gathered pieces we had made together for my "Hope chest".  I made rag quilts from some of Granny's clothes and my quilts told a story.  When it came time to tack these, I pulled out one of Granny's balls of twine, threaded my needle. sewed the layers of quilt onto the same frame and began to tack.  I think she was with me then, smiling.  That's right, girl, a good strong twine will never let you down.

Granny and the magic of twine will never leave me.