Usually I knit quite a few gifts for Christmas. This year I made a decision to concentrate on only 3 gifts - and I had some disappointed people - my niece for one. I asked her on New Year's if she noticed there were no handknits...and she stated "But of course...."
My decision was so I could make gifts in memory of my grandmother who passed away this summer after years in a nursing home with Alzheimer's. She was the person who taught me to knit as a child and because of this I feel like I have her with me everyday...as I knit every day. Unfortunately she did not really know this as I only took up knitting again in the past 6 years or so. For the past 8 years she did not know any of us...lost in her world of Alzheimer's.
I decided to knit my dad and his two sisters gifts in her memory...of their mother. My aunts were easy as I decided to make scarves - an Irish Hiking scarf for one and a Feather and Fan for another...both in lovely blue wools...the color of my grandmother's eyes. My dad was harder...he lives in the south and doesn't really have the need for too many handknits. My mom talked me into a vest...one he could wear golfing on cooler days. I found a yarn that is a wool blend that was lovely to knit with.
We celebrated Christmas early with my parents and when he opened up his gift and read the note I enclosed - about it being in memory of his mother - he got up and ran from the room. I knew he was teary eyed...but he surprised me by coming back into the room proudly wearing the new vest...with a huge smile on his face. He loved it! And it fit perfectly!
I haven't sent off the scarves yet...I just haven't made it to the post office when it was open...but hopefully my aunts will be pleased with their presents as well.
