There was a huge sigh of relief this week when I found the (missing, presumed lost) knitting book which contains the pattern for our traditional family baby shawl.
It's titled Knit with Norbury (according to the introduction, James Norbury wrote a regular knitting feature for the Daily Herald), and was published sometime in the early 1950s.
As you can see, it's a little (OK,very) old and battered; the spine has fallen off, pages are dropping out, and even the sellotape used to repair it has seen better days! Oh, and it's clear I always liked knitting books - so much so that I've left childish scribbles throughout.
It's titled Knit with Norbury (according to the introduction, James Norbury wrote a regular knitting feature for the Daily Herald), and was published sometime in the early 1950s.
As you can see, it's a little (OK,very) old and battered; the spine has fallen off, pages are dropping out, and even the sellotape used to repair it has seen better days! Oh, and it's clear I always liked knitting books - so much so that I've left childish scribbles throughout.
This shawl pattern, though, is special, and has become a bit of a tradition within the family. My mother knitted this shawl for me, then one for each of my daughters, and now I'm about to start one for my eldest daughter's son.
The break with tradition comes in that my daughter has chosen a denim-blue yarn instead of the more usual white; a modern twist on an old favourite.
The break with tradition comes in that my daughter has chosen a denim-blue yarn instead of the more usual white; a modern twist on an old favourite.
I've put pictures of my progress over on my Home Page blog
The blue yarn sounds like a very nice modern twist on an old favourite. My grandma knitted my mum a baby shawl when my eldest brother was born and we all used it.
ReplyDeleteOurs have never lasted, possibly because being girls we've used them as shawls for dolls and played 'dressing up'with them :)
DeleteHow strange, I was listening to some Christmas family traditions on the radio only this morning #teenstweensandbeyond@_karendennis
ReplyDeleteI suppose Christmas is a time when we tend to think of traditions rather than the new and startling :)
ReplyDeleteMary that is just so lovely. Family traditions are so easily overlooked nowadays and I love them. Both my teens were christened in a family gown that has been passed down through the generations and only last weekend I was anxious to find it and make sure no-one threw it out and gave it to charity. Good luck with the knitting. #TweensTeensBeyond
ReplyDeleteOh Jo, how wonderful to have something passed down over generations, but, yes, lock it away somewhere safe before anyone thinks of giving it away! Our shawls have never survived as we've each played dressing-up with them :)
DeleteHow lovely to have a family traditions, not something we've done in our families
ReplyDeletetweenteensbeyond
I think it's become a tradition more by accident than design, but it's nice even so. Thanks for commenting :)
DeleteOh how lovely. That is a special tradition and the pattern itself is a lovely heirloom. I have my great grandmother's wardrobe in my bedroom and fully intend to pass it down to one of my girls. Thanks so much for joining us at #TweensTeensBeyond
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by and commenting, Sharon. It's good to keep some traditions going.
DeleteThis is incredibly beautiful Mary. I particularly love the colour of the sellotape here because it doesn't come in that shade now does it! A lovely tradition and long may it continue. The key is to keep the next generation knitting! Thanks for sharing with #tweensteensbeyond
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nicky. So fa only one of my daughters can knit so she might be carrying all the weight of keeping up this tradition ...
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