Nanna’s Journey

I saw a photo of this gorgeous heirloom quilt in a book and I just had to make it for my Grandson!

It’s not embroidered with perfect neat little stitches, far from it. Just hurried stitches flying into the fabrics in the excitement my grandson’s arrival. The blocks are somewhat uneven in size and don’t always line up. That’s fine.. I love the homemade look I’ve created. Made from scraps found in my treasure trove of fabrics, lace, ric-rack and ribbons. Simple elephant shapes and symbols of love have been machine appliqued then embroidered with favourite lines from nursery rhymes and messages of love.

I still have quite a lot of embroidering to do on several of the squares. I’ve traced and appliqued my hand on one square where I will sign and date the quilt. I won’t be able to completely finish the quilt until after the birth as I want to embroider his name under the little appliqued boy in the center of the quilt, before backing and quilting.

I’m really just putting it up on my blog because it makes me feel committed to finishing it!

I am so looking forward to snuggles and cuddles with my Grandson under this quilt!

It’s raining today, the perfect day to do something crafty.

Edited to add stitch progress… few weeks later…

This magnifying glass is the best thing since sliced bread – 22ct was just way to small for me to see otherwise! Coming along now..

..and in a few more weeks..   ..just a little bit to go..

It is framed with wide double matting in a rustic wooden frame.  Actual cross stitch measured 22cm x 9 cm.

Thunder Thighs and a Badonkadonk Butt!  Looks like Minkey’s new Bunny friend has been eating McDonalds! He was very quick and easy to knit using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in Duck Egg.

How sweet and unique is this bow birth sampler! I have never seen a birth sampler like this one and just had to have it when I saw it. I’m not sure I like the basket on the bow – perhaps little bunnies to match the ducklings would be cute. I’m itching to get started so will put down the knitting needles for a while.

Now I have to confess my track record for birth samplers is not so good. I never did get around to making one for my son Lee (26 in January). And I finally finished Erin’s when she was 10 years old!! Though a few years ago I made a small sampler for my great-nephew (doesn’t that make me sound ancient) Sam. Let’s hope, if I get started now, I will have it ready for when the Baby arrives!

Erin has an ultrasound (10am) tomorrow, so hopefully with little legs uncrossed I will have a PINK or BLUE announcement to make.

*Edited to add: The Beatrix Potter nursery theme has now changed to a Jungle theme *rolls eyes*.   So now, this has been tossed up in the cupboard!

Monkey. He was ugly, roughly knitted in scratchy, dull grey wool but I (apparently) loved him dearly, given to me when I was born. I actually have no recollection of Monkey (well, it’s 50 years ago), but over the years I heard about him – how he went everywhere with me and I never let him out of my sight. Always reminded how ugly he was. When he was finally lost when I (about 2 years old) was in the Royal Children’s Hospital, my mother said she was glad to see the last of him.

Many, many years later when Auntie Grace passed away, her knitting patterns were given to mum. Then, with much laughter, she gave the pattern to me.

Seeing the pattern (torn from woman’s magazine) still didn’t stir any memories, however I decided to knit him all the same. Not in dull, grey, scratchy wool, but a pretty soft lavender and cream cashmere. I don’t think Monkey is ugly at all, in fact I really do like him, he’s really floppy and very soft to cuddle.

I’ve named him Minkey. For my grandchild. Or is he really for me?

I really hope I can interest my grandchild to learn to knit. No matter the knitting skill learned, the time together will be cherished. I taught Erin to knit, though she prefers to leave the knitting to me!

Aren’t these little chants wonderful for teaching children to knit!

Knit Stitch

Under the fence, Around the sheep. Bring it through, and off it leaps!

In through the front door, Once around the back. Peek through the window, And off jumps Jack!

In, Around, Under, Over. (In a sing-song voice)

Casting On

Up through the hole, Around the tree, See you right back!

It really is boring knitting unisex, so I threw caution to the wind (well, he couldn’t see a willie, right?) and added a pretty frilly edge to a plain white cardigan and bootee set. You might have noticed my old Dolly modelling the cardigan a couple of weeks back.

Time is really dragging now, I guess that’s because I am looking forward to finding out if you are a boy or a girl. I went shopping the other day, but everything I wanted to buy was either girlie or boyish (lemon and beige just don’t do it for me) – so I came home with cot and bassinet mattress protectors, two plain white (I might embroider something special on them) bath towels and a pregnancy pillow for Erin. How boring. You better have your legs uncrossed on the 7th – I want to go shopping!

Yesterday Erin and I went to just about every baby shop on the Coast looking at baby car seats and capsules, finally putting a reversible car seat on Layby. We spent ages studying Nappy bags, but as the one Erin liked had either blue trim or pink trim it is once again the waiting game!

Ah well, if you are a Boy, my old doll can have a cardigan!

I couldn’t resist these cute labels for my hand knits.

I found something yesterday that I embroidered about 4 years ago, stashed away and completely forgotten about!

Gra’s mother gave me his childhood blanket (many of you will recognise this checked pure wool blanket – I had the very same blanket as a child!) which was sadly moth eaten in so many places. The blanket was bought for Gra when he went from his cot into a bed, some 45 years ago.

Carefully cutting the blanket (dodging the biggest holes) to make a good sized cot blanket (106cm x 161cm) I darned the holes as neatly as I could. Using embroidery wool, embroidered over the darned areas. I had to scatter little yellow daisies to hide many of the tiny holes. Lining the back with fabric (to hide darning and embroidery ends) and finishing off with a satin ribbon edge. I found the pattern for these adorable little bunnies in an Inspiration Magazine. The embroidery wool gives such a lovely texture to the bunnies and flower for little fingers.

Gra and his mother were thrilled when they saw what I had made with his blanket. I’m sure this will become a very special blanket passed down to our grandchild.

Knitted in garter stitch with stripes and picot crochet edging.

It did turn out better than expected (phew). Here’s a close up of the picot edging that really finished it off nicely.

..and I still have ONE ball of that evil yellow left!

I was asked the other day how the blanket I’m knitting for the baby is coming along.

I have to say, it is the most boring thing I have ever knitted. I’m flat out knitting a few rows each day and I *Sigh* at the beginning and end of each row! It has grown, all too slowly, to 40cm in length.

Taken in full sunlight the colours don’t look quite so bad.

*Sigh*