Yesterday you got to see the exciting product of my vast knitting skill. It doesn't really do justice to the rich knitting/crocheting heritage passed down to me from my mother. So I thought one more post was in order.
My mother was the best seamstress on the block. She enjoyed every aspect of sewing. But much of it was a necessity. There was mending and alterations and the need for "fancy" clothes which, in years gone by were much less expensive to make than to buy. But she also liked to crochet and knit and reupholster and embroider and do needlepoint. The crafts other than sewing were all recreational. While she often knitted hats and sweaters, mostly she did them for the challenge or the beauty - not to save money or provide warmth. So in a way, these were hobbies she did for herself.
Many of the items she made are still around the houses of various family members. Each of my sons has a "Nana afghan". None of theboys men are sentimental, but they all treasure their Nana afghan dearly. There are hats, a baby sweater, balaclavas, a rug sprinkled throughout the family that all stand testament to her talents.
When I got back into knitting my sister gave me a bag filled with our mother's knitting needles. The bag itself is amazing. I wish I knew the story behind it. It's handmade and rather worn. But I always remember it being worn so it must have been in her possession for a long time. I washed carefully. I have no idea what the fabric originally looked like. And I don't know if what I washed off was dirt, dye or more likely, a combination:
Here's what was inside:
They weren't organized like that. I tried to group them by size hoping that I could use some of them. There are wooden needles, plastic needles, aluminum.....even a few marked "made in Czechoslovakia". There are double sided needles and stitch holders for doing cable stitching, several rulers and some instructions. The plastic needles are pretty fragile. Sadly, I broke one trying to use it during my recent knitting revival. Some had been used so much that the color was worn off the tips.
They will continue to live in that bag as they have for my entire life, and probably for years before that, as a tribute to my favorite crafter of all time.
My mother was the best seamstress on the block. She enjoyed every aspect of sewing. But much of it was a necessity. There was mending and alterations and the need for "fancy" clothes which, in years gone by were much less expensive to make than to buy. But she also liked to crochet and knit and reupholster and embroider and do needlepoint. The crafts other than sewing were all recreational. While she often knitted hats and sweaters, mostly she did them for the challenge or the beauty - not to save money or provide warmth. So in a way, these were hobbies she did for herself.
Many of the items she made are still around the houses of various family members. Each of my sons has a "Nana afghan". None of the
When I got back into knitting my sister gave me a bag filled with our mother's knitting needles. The bag itself is amazing. I wish I knew the story behind it. It's handmade and rather worn. But I always remember it being worn so it must have been in her possession for a long time. I washed carefully. I have no idea what the fabric originally looked like. And I don't know if what I washed off was dirt, dye or more likely, a combination:
They will continue to live in that bag as they have for my entire life, and probably for years before that, as a tribute to my favorite crafter of all time.
What a lovely post! I love the hobbies/passions passed onto me from my relatives as well, and will cherish the items I have of theirs forever.
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