In my wardrobe, under a pile of handbags and hats I barely wear, I have a neat stack of woolly items.
There are two fluffy jumpers, a cardigan, a rather skinny scarf and a multi-coloured striped blanket. And they were all made by three generations of women in my family.
Isn’t that awesome?
The stripy jumper
A jumper made by my Gran when I was about 19
This is my go-to jumper whenever I’m feeling poorly, or sad, or just a bit ‘meh’. It makes me feel cosy and looked after, which I guess is exactly how my Gran made me feel. She passed away when I was in my first year of university, which makes my heart twinge just writing about it, but I think of her every time I put this jumper on and it makes me remember how wonderful she was. When Cat and I were little we used to always wear my Dad’s jumpers which my Gran had knitted for him, and I remember them being as big as we were. It was like the ultimate onesie. The stripy jumper is getting a little worn now, less soft than it used to be, but it will have to be completely threadbare before I even contemplate throwing it out.
The grey jumper
A jumper made by my Mum (I’m not sure when exactly!)
This is a bit of a mystery jumper as neither my Mum nor I remember exactly when she made it. I think it was probably when I was living at home after university, so maybe when I was 21 or 22. It’s super cosy and it’s long too which I love because then you don’t get a chilly mid-riff! I’ve just remembered while I’m writing this that I’ve made a faux pas and missed out another jumper my Mum made for me, a snuggly red jumper which is perfect for this time of year. I’ll have to do some more posing and post a photo of that one soon.
The cardigan
A cardigan made by my Mum for my 27th birthday
For Mother’s Day I bought my Mum a knitting pattern, which had the above cardigan in. It definitely wasn’t a hint (I promise!) but when she showed me the one she’d made for herself (and I spent a good five minutes prancing around in it) I think she realised she’d have to make me one too. (Thanks Mum!). And I love it! I got it for my birthday in June so haven’t actually had the weather to wear it out yet, but I’m looking forward to cosying up in it for Autumn.
The rainbow blanket
The blanket Cat made for me, aged 26
I love my stripy blanket! When Cat gave it to me for my birthday (it later featured in this post on our craft swap too) we both said it looks like it should be a gay pride flag, which makes it all the more awesome. I am such a blanket person. Most evenings (winter or summer) when I’ve settled down on the sofa I’ll grab a blanket to drape over me. Ben thinks I’m a little bit old before my time, but I love the safety and comfort of snuggling down under a woollen blanket. And this one is perfect.
The knitted scarf
A scarf made my me when I was 26
And then there’s me. Last year I had a bit of a knitting flurry and decided to make myself a scarf. It took some very patient tuition from my Mum, and a bit of YouTubing, but I got there eventually. It’s by no means perfect, and the sides curl up so it’s like one long sausage roll, but it means I can call myself a Cook lady knitter too. And I can’t think of any club I’d rather be a part of.
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