LooLaBoo: Knitty bits

One of my earliest memories, is sitting at my mother’s feet, in my Aunt’s house listening to them talk while they furiously knitted! I can still hear the sound of the knitting needles clackety-clicking. They would churn out school jerseys ,hats, baby clothes blankets and many more gorgeous items.... the school jersey were the warmest and the always a little too big!(“she will grow into it”) There were stripes, blocks and raglan jerseys with different colour sleeves . Not an ounce of wool was ever wasted! My Mother knitted beautifully, and still does today, producing gorgeous Christmas presents for the whole family last year!

A sunny spot in the corner, perfect to knit

Polly Dolly

I was very interested in learning this beautiful art form from an early age but alas, I am a LEFTY!!! Oh horror of horrors! I spent many a long afternoon, trying my best to get it right but my tension was always off, stitches were dropped and no one could really teach me, until my mother hit on the very clever idea of me sitting in front of her and doing everything the opposite of what she was doing! Very soon I was clackety-clicking with them but not at the speed they could produce things. Knitting for me has always been a very slow process and to be truthful not my favourite thing.... I knitted a baby layette although I think it took me years!! I am not joking!(Am proud to say the little Madame did wear it) I find knitting patterns very hard to read and when they say continue for 40 cm I want to cry, knowing that it will take me hours and hours of very concentrated work, and Oh My Word, Heaven help me if I drop a stitch! (I simply pull it all out and start again)
Where am I going with all this boring waffle about knitting......... when little Madame came to me about 2 years ago and asked me to knit her a dolly that was in one of my beautiful books, I nearly had a heart attack!! “Wait for your Grandmother “ was my reply but Madame was having none of that and she kept on nagging...... So what’s a mom to do? I got some needles and set about knitting her the doll and clothes to fit it! After many, many, maaaaannnnnyyyyy telephone calls to my mother, I started to get the hang of the pattern and a Polly Dolly began to take shape! The sheer joy on my little madams face, spurred me on..... I now enjoy knitting and have discovered many beautiful magazines that now include funky little project, one of the best being the British magazine Simply Knitting. I have yet to tackle anything big, and will still say that I love to crochet best of all! But ultimately I must thank my Mother, Aunt’s and all their friends for instilling in me at a very early age, the absolute love of wool, beautiful knitted things, and the art of it all. I am sad to say that I think it is an art form that is dying out, I will however try very hard to pass the love I have for all things woolly onto my angel child! As my mother did to me! Thank you Mom!