Life as a Grandmother
My previous conception of being a grandmother was that the mother did most of the work. My mom did, but that was probably because we lived 1500 miles away from my mother's mother. We got to see her during the summer some years.
I, however, live only a few miles away from my daughter and her husband and their daughter Lucy. It's amazing and delightful how often I get to enjoy Lucy's company. When her mother works a shift,to give mom and dad a night out, holidays, shopping trips, gardening . . . or even to let mom take a shower. It's wonderful to re-discover the world through the eyes of your tiny granddaughter!
Oh. And by the way, I am not "grama" or "granny" or "grandmother" or "nana" or even "oma". I am MUNGA. Munga Wose. This is a title that Lucy has pulled out of her little brain and stuck to me, and I am PROUD TO WEAR IT!
Mostly, my Grama made cookies or sewed or knitted. She was cheerful and plump, and hugged us a lot. She told us stories, or recorded or wrote stories and sent them to us. She reserved one entire drawer in her kitchen near the floor for treats for grandchildren. Mostly what I remember being in that drawer were Vanilla Fingers and graham crackers. In fact, for years and years I called them "Grama Crackers", simply because Grama gave them to me.
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| Green Dress/Tunic |
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| White Blessing Blanket |
I have had lots of opportunities to knit for Lucy. Her mom asked me to make a white baby blanket for her.
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| Pink Kitty Bolero |
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| Pumpkin Hat and Mittens |
I've made little sweaters and cardigans and boleros, tiny hats and mittens and socks, a pink-and-white striped cat, and even a miniature sweater for her doll.
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| Miss Fox |
Knitting for babies goes so quickly, because the projects are so small. Yarn choices are different, and often cheaper, because they need to be thrown in the wash so often. Colors can be vibrant. Patterns can be functional or whimsical, or a combination of both. In fact, whimsy often makes a garment more desirable in the child's eyes. One toddler would only wear a hat if it was shaped like a fish eating his head. One small girl's favorite sweater had bug buttons down the front. In short (hehe), you can go hog wild!
On the other hand, kids grow out of clothes so fast that you have to knit them with cuffs, or in a larger size, or plan to remake them in bigger sizes later on.
Also, accidents can happen:
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| Celtic Cable Cardi (RIP) |
This is a little Celtic Cable hoodie that I made for Lucy last year out of baby alpaca (bought on deep discount). It was accidentally washed in the machine. Her mom loved this sweater; it
is was beautifully soft, so I am making it again, out of baby alpaca in a different color, and in a slightly larger size.
Lucy called me at work today, to tell me about her lunch (french fries and ketchup, I think). She has figured out how to get into her mom's phone, find the picture of Munga Wose and push the button. She'll be two years old next month. What a smart kid! I couldn't call somebody on a telephone until I was 7!
