Normally when you have a birthday you receive gifts… but it seems when you’re 84 you are the giver. Recently I spent a wonderful few precious days with three amazing women… my grandma (it was her 84th birthday), my mum and my sister. There was much love, laughter and…. knitting… yup… knitting. I’m actually a little embarrassed to say that I didn’t know how to knit! The last time I remember anyone trying to teach me was my lovely Nanna when I was about 6 and I knitted three stripes of a Parramatta scarf (Sorry Dad, I mustn’t have had my heart in the team)…. and that’s it!  Grandma is the most amazing knitter…. she should be, she’s been doing it constantly since she was 6 and has clothed three generations of our family in her lovely creations.

And Grandma’s gift… is the gift of knitting, something she assures me will keep me company and give me comfort throughout my life. Gee… my gift to her of some beads that the boys moulded and painted themselves seems a little wanting!! So off we went to buy some wool and needles for my new venture.  It was nice to know you can buy bamboo needles and 100% wool or bamboo yarn. Of course I chose chunky needles and chunky wool for the chunky throw rug I want to make. Apparently not the easiest for a beginner, but I think it was a stroke of genius! For an impatient novice and time poor mum it’s so exciting to see my little creation take shape so quickly. Very excited that MAYBE by winter 2014 I’ll have my very own handmade throw / blanket…. complete with wool tied together at random intervals and rows that somehow leap from 40 to 44 stitches???!!!  (Apologies to any future grandchildren of mine… you’ll be getting hand-me-down booties and beanies from your great, great grandma’s needles… not these chunky babies!).