My Grandmother's Yarn

My grandmother died last year and I inherited all of her knitting things. She didn't have a will or anything, but I'm the only knitter in the family so they went to me. She would never teach anyone to knit because she knit "backwards," but she made me sweater after sweater my whole childhood. After the funeral I spent some time casting off and finishing a gorgeous, squishy blue sweater, and I gave it to the only one of her daughters who was the right size for it. A few weeks later, I used some of her collection to knit my first sweater. It's wool/cotton, and I have been wearing it all year and it's in good shape. 

Then I moved and left the yarn with my Mom. I was happy to use my grandmother's knitting needles and tapestry needles, but I stopped using her yarn. But now, my Mom is moving so I went through the yarn and I found three VERY nearly finished scarves, that just needed casting off or weaving in ends. I don't know who they were intended for but I think I will give them to my aunts or her sister. (We all still have a lot of purses and coats and clothes that she bought for us, because she was a dedicated shopper and a generous gifter, but I think something handmade is special.) Figuring out their construction made me feel close to her, and to her Swedish forbears. The photos are terrible because it was raining and then it was dark, but it was really good knitting weather. She was born in Seattle and lived in Washington for much of her life. And now that I think of it, she was a terrible photographer. 

 Beaded suede-esque scarf

 Berroco Mosaic FX scarf

 Then I cast on her French cotton yarn for a pair of arm warmers. My grandma preferred cotton yarn, but it is too hard on my hands. That's why I only knit her one thing- a pair of cotton socks- but I'm very glad I did.