This is the story of an afghan.
I know. You may be asking yourself, “Has Jay lost his mind? What the heck is the story of an afghan doing on the sports page?”
I’ve written about many topics in my 11 years writing this column. This is the first time I’ve ever typed the word afghan in this space. In fact, I had to double check how to even spell afghan. When I first typed it, I simply spelled it the way you spell the beginning of the Middle Eastern country. Turns out, I nailed it.
So why is an afghan making its Jaywalking debut? Not because crocheting has suddenly become a sport, although if you have ESPN2 on late enough at night, perhaps you could find it on TV. I mean, I recently saw competitive cornhole on ESPN, and that’s a game played best at parties after a few adult beverages.
The real reason is because the Franklin County Babe Ruth Baseball League is raffling off an afghan to raise money for its scholarship fund. The blanket fits a queen-size bed and is patterned as an American flag.
I was initially contacted by the league about putting something in the paper to promote the raffle. But sometimes, you want the whole story behind something, so I recently sat down with league officials and with Maureen Shaw, the woman who spent 86 hours crocheting the flag. The afghan will be raffled off throughout the next two months. The final day of the raffle will be July 4, with the winner being chosen on the holiday, which is fitting. Tickets are $10 apiece and will be on sale at the concession stand at Abercrombie Field throughout the Babe Ruth season, and can also be purchased by calling league president Tina Crocker (648-0124) or league official Joe Mignault (774-3876).
When we first sat down, I began by asking about the “quilt” in question and was informed that the piece was in fact an afghan. Shaw explained that anyone in the knitting or crocheting community would know the difference. For those unfamiliar, I’m told that an afghan is knitted or crocheted, while a quilt is sewn.
The idea for the American flag was hatched by Shaw, whose son Andrew Shaw currently plays in the league. Maureen Shaw is a board member and is the Director of Concessions for the league. During February vacation, Shaw was sitting at home with her kids watching movies. As they binge-watched the Harry Potter series, Maureen said she decided to begin crocheting, rather than sit listlessly around. She said that knowing her kids see her begin and finish these projects is something she enjoys about crocheting.
“I like when the kids watch me do something and see me persevere through something,” she said.
Shaw learned to crochet while working in the lab at Valley Medical Center. A co-worker began teaching her during their lunch breaks, and she was soon making things for family and friends.
“People would wear my stuff at first because I had made it for them,” she joked.
As the afghan began taking shape, she decided it might make a nice raffle item and spoke to league officials who agreed it would be a great way to help raise money for the league’s scholarship fund. The fund is given out annually to a high school senior who played three years in the Babe Ruth league. Last season, Eliot Mousseau of Pioneer Valley Regional School took home the scholarship, which was in the amount of $500.
“She is a mother who wants to help the league that her son enjoys playing in,” Mignault said.
Each stripe on the flag took Shaw five hours to make. She then had to make each of the 50 stars individually before she put them together, which she said was the most labor-intensive and her least favorite part.
“I loved making the stars but not so much putting them together,” she said.
The hard work by Shaw could also have a lasting impact on the local league. Aside from the scholarship fund, some money from the proceeds could also go toward purchasing a pair of batting cages and pitching machine for Abercrombie Field, something the league is excited to offer players for the first time.
It’s quite a gift for the league, and Shaw said that’s what it’s all about.
“There’s something about giving something you made by hand as a gift that means so much,” she said.
Opening Day for the Babe Ruth League is May 26.
Jason Butynski is a Greenfield native and Recorder sportswriter. His email address is jbutynski@recorder.com.