"Buttons and patches and the cold wind blowing,
The days pass quickly when I am sewing"
~Author Unknown

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

I love Granny!

I grew up with the sweetest, most magical grandmother on earth! She was so special and I just loved her to bits. In my memories of her, she would sit for hours in her special chair and crochet the hours away. Those beautiful hands of a very old lady creating afghans and tablecloths. Everyone in my family have some items she made. One of the things I have is a granny square throw she made once at my mother's house. My mother got out a big bag of scrap yarns and dumped the bag out at her feet. She got to work using up the scraps and this is the result...


Dagi decided to help model the afghan. *wink*  This afghan inspired me to grab a number of various colors from my yarn stash...yes, I now have yarn stash and lots of it...and my grandmother's crochet hook...this was one my mother brought to me...and started crocheting...


I had seen the pattern (Flower in a square) on for this block on Sucrette's blog. It was perfect for my spin on my granny's granny square afghan come scarf. 


Here is the result which I am just totally thrilled about. I told my mother that my Gramcrackers (as I called her) made it since it was done with her own crochet hook. *grins* 


It is not even the end of January and I have three crochet finishes under my belt...woohoo! I am really hooked on these UFO finishes. I had been working on this since the autumn so it was also a UFO. I decided to keep up the challenge and turn up the rate to maybe 4 or 5 finishes before I can start something new for myself. Once you get started challenging yourself, it comes easier than you think. How about trying it too? 

28 comments:

Nancy said...

The thing that strikes me as weird is, I am now my Mother. Now I sit in my favorite chair and read, (yes, she loved to read) and knit. She did knit too, but it was not her favorite thing as it is mine. I have enough yarn in my sewing room to make at least two afghans. Maybe this winter I will do another one. I do crochet them. I like them better than knitted.
I love the scarf you made and that lady and Dagi do a great job with modeling. Just leave it there so you can enjoy seeing it beside the afghan.
Both you and Kristy got my Mom's skills with the hook.
Love you, Mom
Sleep tight in my bed tonight.

Catherine said...

It looks wonderful! And how great that you used your grandmothers hook!

Betty Lou said...

What a wonderful feeling to have something in your hands that worked magic in your grandmothers. I think her creative genes are flowing through you, both afghans are beautiful. I have a crochet tablecloth that my grandmother made, but it is coming apart in so many places

Jackie's Stitches said...

How fortunate that everyone has something that your grandmother made. Far more fortunate that you had time with her. Such special memories.

Congratulations on your finishes - 3 already, WOW!

Pondside said...

I haven't crocheted for years, but long ago did make a granny square afghan that I still have. It was made big enough to cover a Queen sized bed. I should pull it out.

barbara said...

I was just saying the other night how much I missed my Grams and wished that she and Gramps were able to join us for dinner (we were having rabbit, a favorite of Gramps').

I love love love your finish!

Rhonda said...

Very nice!

Ginny said...

Your scarf is so colorful! What a fun and practical way to use up your stash.

Daniƫlle said...

Way to go!!! The scarfs look wonderfull! Now go and meet your challenge as I will mine hihihi! Have a great hooking day! Hugs, Daniƫlle

sucrette said...

Hello!
Your scarf is beautiful :) love how the black surrounds the colors!
I, too, am often inspired by the lovely crochet work of my grandma and my mother too :) They were so talented and patient you can not imagine! They used to make together crocheted bedcovers with thin yarn :) hehe
Thank you for linking to my blog!
Have a wonderful day!
Angie

Christine said...

Your scarf is lovely, and so is your Grandmothers blanket. Dagi makes the perfect model

Anneke said...

I totally missed your last post, so I want to say I loooove the stitching finish. The scarf is great too, I had a christmas granny square scarf and wore it till January. It's fun and I got a lot of nice comments on it.
Well, what will we get to see next??

Reginas Cottage said...

dear heidi,
i love the scarf.....it looks wonderful.
have a nice day,
love and hugs,
regina

Carolien said...

Hi Heidi,

Your scarf looks lovely! Besides, I am very happy with your mom's crocheted hat ... I often wear it when biking to and from my work. It's always in my bag so I can put it on whenever my ears ask for it, grins ...

Have a great weekend & hugs, Carolien

Jenny said...

Oh Heidi,
I love, love, love the afghan that your Grandma crocheted. It reminds me of the one my Grandma made that used to lay on the foot of her guest room bed. Oh what memories....and your scarf is beautiful too. I have all of my Grandma's knitting needles and they are a real treasure indeed. Hugs from CA.

Penny said...

What a beautiful afghan and Dagi sure is a handsome fella!
I inherited all of my grandmother's crochet hooks, and I love using them. I think back to all of the beautiful things she made with them. Your scarf is so pretty and colorful - you did a beautiful job! :)

Willy said...

Hej Heidi, wat een mooi verhaal met herinneringen.
Je sjaal is prachtig geworden.
Fijn weekend, lieve groet

ria vogelzang said...

What a great nanny-scarf! It looks fabulous!!
And I totally understand the feeling using your grandmothers hook.....!
Love, Ria.

onlymehere said...

Beautiful! I still use my Grandma Annie's embroidery hoop. I think of her crocheting also with that thin yarn (doilie-type) and I'm so grateful I have some of them to help me remember her by.

garden2day said...

I enjoyed your very touching memory of your granny. My granny made an afghan with black background much like this but it has been lost and she passed when I was 3. I love the scarf. What a great way to carry on the torch.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful scarf/afghan. My grandma used to crochet doilies with ruffles about 4 inches high. She was the only one who could starch and iron them and about once a year she got back the doilies she had given everyone in the family so she could launder them and make them gorgeous again.
Lillian @ lillianscupboard.com

Brigitte said...

What a treasure this afghan is, full of memories and skills. So it's quite obvious where your and your mother's needlecraft skills come from. I love those colours all surrounded by black. Looks wonderful. And so does your scarf.
Good luck with finishing the next UFOs.

Sonja said...

So nice you have inherited this skill from your grandmother!
I also have an afghan from my grandmother. She made it in the colors I preferred at that time...dark purple and lightening green and pink and more heavy colors! I will never throw it away, it is such a warm memory

Mary said...

Great afghan that your grandmother made. I have a very old one like that as well that mine made.

The scarf is wonderful and means more since you crocheted using your granny's hook.

Joni J CHL said...

I love this!!! You have a real talent Heidi!

Jantine said...

Double special scarf then, I love it!

Unknown said...

What a beautiful story, a wonderful memory and a gorgeous scarf. Her memory sure lives on in your work and that makes it magical. dee x

A Whole Lotta Magic said...

How lucky you are to have such sweet momentos!

S
xo