I came across Larissa Brown's My Grandmother's Knitting - Family Stories and Inspired Knits from Top Designers on Ravelry. I think it was Teva Durham's slouchy Minerva hat that mostly caught my eye and I decided to get the book from the library. And am I glad I did! The book is twofold: first there are the family stories, some by the designers featured in the book, some from other designers, and the founder of Ravelry is included, too! I loved reading the stories, they were so touching and made me think about my family's story and how knitting and other handicrafts relates to it. Reading the stories made me feel like part of a worldwide community that transcends time itself. It made me feel like I am connected to all the knitters that ever were and are. So a powerful book indeed. And there were so many great sentiments in the book, such that every knitter should hear sometimes to reassure as how great it is that we are able to knit, to create. It is a real gift to be able to knit, and there is nothing wrong with making time for it. It is pretty much the only aspect of life we are totally in control of, and it is important to do things in life you really love.
The second part of the book holds the designs from the top designers, some I had heard of, others not, but I truly loved seeing each of the patterns photographed beautifully. Included are for example Ysolda Teague, Chrissy Gardiner, Pam Allen, Wendy Bernard and Cookie A. My favorite design is the Minerva hat which is a kind of a milk maiden's bonnet. It is so cute and fun. I also love the vintage gloves by Robin Melanson.
In my family handicrafts have been very important. My mother's parents were both very able, my grandmother knit, sew, crocheted and wove with a handloom. My grandfather was good with wood and metal, he made a rocking chair and forged iron chains as a part of our regional dresses. I remember when I my grandmother taught me to single crochet and I would simply do that so that finally I had a single crochet chain going on for several meters! My mother is very good with the sewing machine, much better than me, and she also knits. She knit more when I was small, but she has started doing it more recently as well. When I was around seven-eight years old, she knit me a blue and grey sweater which I loved so much that I rarely took it off and wore it until it was full of holes. I really loved that sweater!
We also used to sew clothes for my barbies together when I was small. Well, she did most of the sewing whenever the result was acceptable but I was always so inspired by her work that I tried my hands with the sewing machine, too, sometimes with monstrous consequences and never really succeeding in making anything... When I had a dance in high school which is similar to prom but much more formal, we sew the dress together from dark red silk we had bought while living in China. I really learned a lot about sewing when doing that and have sewn a few dresses by myself since then. But knitting is still my main craft. I am not sure exactly why that is, I just started knitting before high school and even more during it and haven't stopped since then. I had knit before, as well, but nothing big, just mittens and tried my hands at socks but didn't really get into that. I had a subscription to a handicrafts magazine even when we were in China. I guess there was such a great pattern there that I just needed it. I was thirteen or fourteen, and bought yarn for it and started knitting it there in China, where you rarely needed a sweater, much less a thick one like the one I was knitting. I still have it, it's red, big, stockinette stitch sweater with a huge folding neckline. I haven't worn it in ages, it's really not something I would wear now, but it's where my knitting really started. After finishing that I continued knitting and haven't stopped. I think knitting is at least real close to the best thing in the world.
