I met Jodi in one of my workshops. She told me her mom crocheted...a lot! Her story about her mom got me interested. I've met people who told me that their grandma or mother crocheted. Even my mother bragged about her crocheting when she was younger, but she has not shown me any of the pieces she made. I've always wanted to share a story about the "personal" side of crochet in terms of being part of a family's story.
Meet Mommy Dina, Jodi's mom. It was Mommy Dina's birthday last August 6.
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| The Crocheter: Mrs. Dina Rivera-Lorenzo |
Jodi said her mom crocheted every day when it was still her hobby. Even though she had a full day taking care of the household, she found time to curl up on the sofa and crochet.
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| One of Mommy Dina's crocheted table runners made of mercerised cotton. It has the classic pineapple design. |
One of Jodi's childhood memories with her mom involved crochet. At 8, Jodi got curious of her mom's crocheting. Although her curiosity was not enough for her to take the initiative to learn crochet, she still got involved by holding the yarn for her mom instead. Jodi would unravel the yarn from the ball while her mom crocheted. Mommy Dina was a fast crocheter though, so it came to a point when Jodi's "unraveling" became too slow for her. Jodi considered that activity with her mom as a chance to spend some quality time with her.
Mommy Dina was also Jodi's first crochet teacher. She taught her the basic stitches.
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| Mommy Dina and Jodi |
I asked Jodi if she had an idea how many projects her mom crocheted. She said they have a container-full at home that included centerpieces and table covers. Those are only on top of the other pieces her mom gave as Christmas presents to relatives and close friends.
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| Classic crocheted doilies by Mommy Dina using mercerised cotton yarn |
Jodi shared a memorable crochet story about her mom:
"I liked the way I felt her grow when she started experimenting and combining yarn colors. She mostly worked with white and yellow first. One day, she brought home a packed, regular-sized red plastic bag containing balls of different-colored yarn. She showed me the yarn side-by-side each other and asked my opinion on her color choices. Then she came up with all these interesting patterns. My mom was an artist all on her own."
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| Crocheted doilies by Mommy Dina using mercerised cotton in various colors |
Mommy Dina passed away on December 3, 2000. She is survived by her husband Jojo and children Nikko, Jodi, and Tommi.
When Jodi told me her family kept all the crocheted works of Mommy Dina, I did not hesitate to ask if I could show some of them in my blog. Jodi, in turn, did not hesitate for a second to lend them to me. These works are heirloom pieces. Every inch of the yarn used for these works went through the hands of Mommy Dina. It is nice to see that even in seemingly ordinary household pieces, Mommy Dina's presence is felt. This just goes to show that there is a story in every crocheted piece you see. That time was given and shared to finish it. And that they serve as tangible reminders of the life a loved one lived.
When Jodi told me her family kept all the crocheted works of Mommy Dina, I did not hesitate to ask if I could show some of them in my blog. Jodi, in turn, did not hesitate for a second to lend them to me. These works are heirloom pieces. Every inch of the yarn used for these works went through the hands of Mommy Dina. It is nice to see that even in seemingly ordinary household pieces, Mommy Dina's presence is felt. This just goes to show that there is a story in every crocheted piece you see. That time was given and shared to finish it. And that they serve as tangible reminders of the life a loved one lived.
nakakaiyak mga gantong master piece sis trey! it was history! ang hirap palakihin ng mercerised cotton almost thread na din,salute mommy DINA! bat ba kasi sa pinas di uso ang chunky yarn. -dee
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post. My grandmother was a hardcore crocheter. She covered her house and family members with crochet. One of my favorite childhood memories is falling asleep while playing with the popcorn stitches of the crocheted sofa-cover she made. I still have some of the pieces of an unfinished blanket (she died while it was in progress) and I'm slowly trying to recreate it in her memory.
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