Thank you for all your comments regarding the 'Lantern Scarf' my models and the Blog Interview. The winner of the 'Lantern Scarf Pattern and Yarn Give Away is Becks. Becks has already been knitting her little girl a hoodie in the same yarn, so now she can have a matching scarf too :)
I used this Random Number Generator here.
Yesterday, 17th November, Becks wrote a touching post on her Blog Here at 'Knit Sew Hooked' it is called beginnings and talks about her learning crafts from her Grandmother. Yesterday would have been my Grandmothers Birthday. Kathleen Annie Maude Kettle. We all called her Nana. I would have a hard job describing how fantastic my Nana was. It was Nana who encouraged my love and knowledge of crafts and cookery. I can not remember a time when she did not have time or patience for me...and I was enough to try the patience of a saint! She made many sacrifices for me both in time and money. I secured a place at a university 200 miles away from home in 1991. I had been seeing my Grandmother practically daily. One day she seemed a little uneasy and she shared with me she had a problem with her breast. That generation really didn't like to discuss their bodies. She allowed me to examine her and she had a huge lump. It turned out it was Breast Cancer. She refused surgery as she was elderly and infirm, but with medication the cancer was kept at bay. As she lived to her late eighties her health suffered she got diabetes, she had minor strokes, causing confusion and demetia and in the end she also had cervical cancer. She ended her days in a Nursing home, safe and medicated. It was very hard to go to University, but I traveled home each weekend, to be with my family, dogs and my boyfriend at the time (who would be my ex husband, Henry's Dad). In my second year at University I had the chance to go to the USA for two months on Teaching Practice. We would be there in the depths of Winter. Nana knitted this fantastic Aran for me to take and it has survived 19 years so far and looks almost as good as new. The miracle of this Aran is it has stretched with me, so it still fits.
I realise how much Nana's wisdom and example has shaped who I am today. If I am wrestling with a situation I often think 'What would my Nan say or do?' and it is usually a sensible option. She was a feisty independent lady.
I have one picture of Nana with Henry she passed away before he was a year old. This photograph was taken on Henry's First Christmas Day. Her favourite saying to me was "You'll get old some day." This photograph lives in Henry's room.
I have loved Winnie the Pooh for years but never read the ending, when I did it made me cry! I didn't know Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin had to say goodbye when Christopher Robin was a big boy!
"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard"
A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
I am sure she would have been an avid reader of my Blog and she would be offering up her constructive criticism willingly.
I know many of my readers are Grandmothers, some are brand new grandmothers, some are patiently awaiting the title with with an imminent bundle of joy, I think you all do a fantastic job. x
God Bless 'Nanas'. I can wait a while before I am one!
Ohhhhhhhhh! Lucy what a wonderful post! I had a Grandma just like that. Doris Annie Mary Staddon. I still have the thermal underwear she bought me when I first got married. It was so cold in our house I wanted to keep coming home to my Mums and she gave me the underwear and said "your house
ReplyDeletewill never be a home if you are not in it!" Wise words and of course she was right! She gave me so much help and guidance.
And, YES I am one of the Grandmas just witing patiently,or not so patiently for our first Grandson to arrive.
Thank you for your lovely post and I know how proud she would be of you xx
What a lovely post, my Nan died when I was 13, we had lived with her until I was 5 so she was a second Mum to me. All my life I've missed her so much, breast cancer stole her from us.
ReplyDeleteCarol xx
What a beautiful post. You brought tears to my eyes thinking of my own Nan. We are so lucky to have had someone so special in our lives to bring about our love of crafting and cooking.
ReplyDeleteOh Lucy.. what a sweet post. You are so lucky to have lived with your nana in your life. I think I've told you that my parents moved us across the country when I was 4 and I had no grandparents to love me while growing up and the only aunt that lived here was mean to me. She was pregnant when we lived with them for a bit when we first arrived and do you know what she said to me.. at age 4? "I hope this baby is NOTHING like you!" ::sigh:: I longed to be a loving grandma when my grandkids came.. and to have my little granddaughters taken from me across country has about killed me. -- end of sob story.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Teresa
This was such a beautiful post and made me get weepy thinking about my own grandmother, and how much I loved her. How lovely that you have that beautiful jumper she made you to keep your warm and give you a hug from her
ReplyDeletex
this is such a lovely heartwarming post (at first i wrote earwarming, but that is because i tend to migrate here at around 2 a.m)
ReplyDeletefirst of all congratulations to Becks! it sounds like it was meant :)
and nextly onto the tale of lovely nana kettle. i really love the photo you have of her and little henry, who looks just like his great nana in this pic. with pooh and piglet and rabbit looking on. i cried when i read the lines from a.a.milne because they remind me of my nana and nannie too who also loved knitting, crochet and baking and were such good friends to me. your aran is a beautiful and precious gift, it must be a huge comfort to you.
being a grandmother is a magical thing. i really love it and have recently been given the wonderful news that i am expecting a second grandchild :) (originally wrote grandson, don't know if that's a premonition or just a sympton of staying up past my bedtime)
thank you so much for sharing this story ❤
warmest hugs xxx
sumea
Ah Lucy what a super & loving post. Grandmothers/Nana's are very special people and enhance our lives so much.
ReplyDeleteMy Nan is no longer with us, and I miss her so much. But I am now a Nana to my gorgeous Grandson and Granddaughter and I hope I can have a very special place in their hearts.
Thank you for sharing your story
Ginnie x
Wow, what a lovely post...I have no more words than that :)
ReplyDeleteYour post simply drips with love and fond memories :) Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing your Nan with us!
ReplyDelete~Lacey
Squeal!!! I won something, wow!! Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post about your Nan, beautiful memories. I need to give myself a shake and post on my blog but I can't just yet because seeing my nan's face every time I load the page is.......well, you know......I just don't want to move her down the page now she's there smiling out at me....
Silly huh?
Big smiles here though, gonna make a start on the Anastasia scarf right away as a gift for a friend. Thanks again.
xx
Awwww... that's such a sweet post.
ReplyDeleteXOXOXOXO