Knitting

A friend posted an article about a very talented knitter who recently passed away. I would like to share the story of another great knitter and the impact she has had on three generations. She lived and died in Canada many years ago. This lady was blind. She taught her two daughters to knit and when she died, the daughters divided her needles and added to them, knitting and creating their own designs. One item the Grandmother knitted was a blanket of colored wool squares, seamed together for a granddaughter's blanket. More than just wool was knitted into that blanket; love was included in its creation.

Those two daughters knitted similar "blankies" for each of their children, about the same three foot square size as the original, and love was included in those blankets, as it was with many other items they knitted. One of those daughters had two daughters and those two daughters learned to knit. And when that Mother passed away, her daughters were given the knitting needles, dozens of many different sizes, along with knitting books dating back to their Grandmother's day. And having been taught with love and patience, they returned to the skills they had learned as young girls.

One daughter began by repairing the blanket made by her Grandmother for her more than 50 years earlier. She then studied the blankets her Mother had made for her sister and her. This return to knitting started after she had grandchildren; she had some catching up to do. She began to knit. She knitted blankets for three grandchildren. Her sister made Christmas stockings for her nieces and nephew, these grandchildren. As each of the other grandchildren arrived, there was first a blanket ready and waiting and then a Christmas stocking for their very first Christmas.

That brings us to this Christmas. The ninth blanket was ready when Noelle arrived November 11th. When she comes with her parents for Christmas, her stocking "will be hung by the chimney with care". You see, the original knitter was my wife's Grandmother. One of her two daughters was my Mother-in-law. And, one of HER two daughters is my wife, the current knitter. My wife's standard baby gift to friends is a baby blanket; knitted with love.

This story may be just like knitting; a work in progress. Two of our five granddaughters have been taught with the same loving care to "cast on" and knit.