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Monday, February 8, 2010

Finished projects: Knitting, and keepsake embroidery


Today is my mother's birthday.  She was born in 1936.  Mom has been wanting me to make her a hat.  She was very specific with her instructions.  She wanted a knitted stocking hat, with a rim to roll.  So, I obliged, using a Paton's wool.  I enjoyed diving into knitting again so much, that I immediately planned three more projects.  (I can't do ANYTHING in moderation...)  I'm finally going to try to make socks (and doubting my abilities with the dpns.  :)


I really did love the colorway on this particular yarn,
but it does not photograph that well.  I think it
looks a little too random, even making it look like
the stitches are messed up in the ribbing.  They aren't.  
Really.  I mean it.  I hope that mama likes her hat.


This is another project for mom's birthday.
It's something she asked me to "fix" awhile back.
She had a piece of embroidery that
had been her mothers.  In fact, it was the 
last thing my grandmother Violet ever
made.  Grandma had Alzheimer's Disease,
and as she began to fade from consciousness
mom (who was her primary caregiver,) 
gave Grandma little projects to try to
keep her engaged in life and reality.
Grandma wrote in a journal for awhile, but
eventually that devolved into scribbles, 
mere lines on lines.  This embroidery, I would say,
was a bookend to Grandma's last rational moments.
Grandma has been gone for over a decade now,
and the fabric is fragile.  I had a hard time
deciding how best to preserve it, then
finally decided it should be behind glass.


I appliqued it onto a piece of cotton, purposefully 
sewing it over the right side of the fabric so
that a faint design showed from beneath.
Next, I will fasten it around a piece of stiff
board (by sewing the edges,) and place it in a frame.
I think she'll be pleased that I've finally finished
this project, as well.  On Sunday, I'm cooking dinner 
for my mom and dad, and we'll celebrate 
Jeff's and Ben's birthdays at the same time.
It's birthday season!

5 comments:

  1. Your projects are beautiful! I'm sure your mother will be very pleased. We just celebrated my mother's 88th birthday last Saturday. I gave her nice warm socks (from the store! More power to ya' for attempting your own).

    BTW I love your grandmother's name!

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  2. pretty colors in the hat and that's a great way to preserve the embroidery.

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  3. Don't worry so much about the dpn's. They are not that hard to use. And if you decide you don't like them, don't forget there are ways to use circulars for socks (magic loop and two circulars). I prefer dpn's myself for small items like socks.

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  4. Pretty hat, Holly, and I ADORE the embroidery! How special!

    I have a couple of quilts from two different great grandmothers. One is just the hand pieced top that I have been meaning to quilt. I would like to give it to my mother in law as a gift - if I ever get around to finishing it!

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  5. Violet, it is a lovely name. :) There is a newborn baby girl in our town this week, and her middle name is Violet.

    Sara, thank you!

    bibliotecaria - I will remember your words. :) I did a hat on dpns, and it is fun after you get going. I just get a little nervous thinking about it. :)

    Connie, I know. I know. :) I have a tote (just one, though...) of projects that need to be completed. They taunt me...

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