When Abby Schneider began working on her granny square blanket, she wasn’t following a pattern. She was documenting her first year as a hospice nurse. Each square she crocheted was more than artfully woven yarn ─ it represented a name, a story, and a life that Abby got to know.
“When I started working with Angela Hospice a little over a year ago, I decided to crochet a granny square for each patient of mine who passed and make a blanket,” she said. “I wanted to use the time spent crocheting each square as an opportunity to reflect on the patient’s passing. I viewed this not only as a moment to honor the person’s life, but also a moment for me to debrief and cope…. “
What resulted was a beautiful blanket made of 45 squares, memorializing her patients who passed away.
“For me, crocheting and knitting are incredibly healing crafts. Not only can they help with processing grief and change, but they can also pass down important stories,” Abby reflected.
“I like to think of it as my ‘guardian angels’ blanket,” she said. “It feels meaningful to me, especially at the end product, knowing that I have all these people that I can remember, wrapped up into a blanket.”
Abby didn’t tell any of her patients or families that she was working on this project. It was something she did for herself, to process all she experienced in her first year as a hospice nurse.
“Working in hospice has been all of the things: beautiful, sad, uplifting, challenging, meaningful, and so much more,” Abby said. “I hope that as I continue to work in this field, I don’t lose sight of the humanness of the work I do, and crocheting is one way for me to keep this humanness at the forefront of my mind.”
Abby’s patients and families have experienced her authenticity, in the connections she forms with them. She loves getting to know them, and it has meant a lot to the families, who frequently comment about what a wonderful nurse Abby is.
Just a few years ago, Abby was unsure whether nursing was the path for her, but after taking care of her grandmother who had dementia, Abby knew she wanted to pursue a nursing career. Now she’s glad she’s found hospice as her specialty, and she knows firsthand what an impact nurses can make in this special field.
“My grandpa was on hospice,” Abby shared. And while her grandfather only used hospice for about a week, the impact that experience made on her family was long lasting, especially for her mother. “She still talks about the hospice nurse,” Abby said.
Now Abby is being woven into the stories of her own patients, just as they are a part of hers.
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