Knitting Goodies!
I got a few knitting-related surprises this week.
First off, at the family Sunday lunch at AJV’s parents’, Uncle Arthur (really the next-door neighbour, but he’s been there way before AJV was born so he’s part of the family now) presented me with a whole heap of knitting goodies. They were, he explained, his late wife’s — but none of his kids knit, and so it’s all just gathering dust. I was touched and shocked by the gift, and promptly brought it home.
I’ve had no chance since to properly sort through it all, but on a first glance through there’s two needle cases full of needles, stitch holders, stitch markers, row counters, crochet hooks and the like; there’s a bulging file of patterns, all different, and there’s also two WIPs (one in a baby pink, the other in a bright pink) that Aunt Marion was obviously working on… It’s amazing.
I know my Mum left some knitting stash behind too, but I believe that’s long gone now. It’s a shame. But with this similar stash from Uncle Arthur, I got a hint of Marion — this lady who obviously loved to knit, who (as Arthur told me) knitted masses of jumpers and clothes for him and the children, and never had needles far from her hands — I got a hint of her, and her likes/dislikes, just from this gift of her old supplies. It’s altogether poignant and trusting.
The second surprise was in today’s mail — I’ve won a competition out of Knitting magazine! The prize was a copy of Louisa Harding’s latest two books Winter’s Muse Portraits and Winter’s Muse Landscapes. Looking at the patterns inside both of these, I can tell they’re going to keep me going for a while — after I’ve finished the current WIPs that is! :)