A Gift from Grandma Perry

Not everything I knit is non-essential, though proportionally more projects are artistic than useful.  Here's a post regarding something I've made that can actually be used.  The attentive reader will quickly realize it doesn't have to fit a human form though.



The afghan I got from Grandma Perry

My paternal grandmother did something for her 9 grandchildren, she crocheted an afghan for each of us when we got married.  Grandma made mine in 1975 which was a time of granny squares.  Now over 35 years old it still looks great, even though the colour scheme is so 70's. We used it a lot when I lived in North Dakota, in fact I still use it.   After the wedding two sons came along so this afghan has been washed more than a few time.

Fast forward to late 2008 when my youngest son announced he was getting married the following July.  Rather than take on potential grandchildren like Grandma Perry, I adapted her idea.  I could knit an afghan for each of my sons when they wed.  My soon-to-be daughter-in-law is fond of the colour forest green so selecting a colour was the easy part.  (Food is much more demanding that way.) Finding just the right pattern was the biggest challenge in this idea because I am the type of knitter who hates to repeat the same set of stitches over and over again.

I looked for a few weeks and found the Textured Lap Robe designed by Rena Stevens Textured Lap Robe.


My version of R. Stevens' Textured Lap Robe

There are 6 different sets of patterns, 5 of which repeat.  It worked up quickly and there was enough going on that I didn't get bored.  I love it when my intuition for finding the right pattern and colour comes together. This afghan now lives in the Midwest warming up cold Minnesota nights.

Thanks Grandma for giving a great gift in more ways than one. The tradition you started may carry on when I have grandchildren of my own, but for now the "boys" and their wives have something I made that they can actually use.