Friday 17 December 2010

Nannas' Blanket



Hello lovelies,
it's been an odd sort of week here. All the preparations I had planned have gone out of the window due to Mr Lurgy .

I've had no day this week when all three boys have been at school, so my plans to finalise Christmas purchases and wrap them have gone undone. I'm not feeling panicky yet but I was keen to avoid last minute shopping, and I need to get every thing together to check for evenness ,if you know what I mean. Hate to have one pile smaller than the others on the big morning.

Despite the disturbed nights and childcare headaches it's been an OK week. Enforced time at home is no hardship to me. So this week I've been working on a new project , something I've been meaning to do for a LONG time.....

My Nanna ( Maternal Grandmother ) was a prolific Knitter. My whole family were always well supplied with jumpers, scarfs, hats, mittens ,toys and blankets.

I think this picture will have been taken about 1972,judging by the age of my brother.
On the back of the sofa is one of Nannas' blankets. I remember hiding under this for the scary bits of Dr Who :0)
The colours are not my favourites, but the design is interesting , don't you agree.
It's all made up of triangles. ...



Some years later , probably the 1980's my Nanna used this pattern again .When she passed away a few years ago ( at the age of 97) my Mum rescued many of her makes and this amazing blanket came to me ......



Isn't it stunning ! These colours are much more me .Unfortunately it's condition was pretty bad.....



My Nanna was the frugal type and most of her knitting was made of mixed fibres . She often pulled down old garments to recycle the yarn .

I've pondered many times what to do with this blanket as some of the holes are pretty bad and I can't knit.

Fortunately it's made up of square blocks , sewn together.so i decided to take it apart and remove the worst ones.....



I then patched up the and small defects and sewed it together again....

This is what I'm left with.....



If you look closely you can see where Nanna has used up the tiniest bits of yarn by changing part way through a triangle !........



Despite this I absolutely love it . It's just a shame Nanna's not here for me to tell her, this is Nanna and I ,taken in the sixties ..........



Oooh just noticed the polka dot cup and saucer at the side of her chair :0)


Now I need your advice . It needs a border, but what ???

This is the original border , crochet , but not great. ...



I'm just not sure what to do instead, it's such a colourful ,bold , geometric blanket . What would suit it ???

Please think about what it needs and let me know , I'm a bit stumped .

Jacquie x

36 comments:

  1. What a beautiful keepsake from your Nanna. I would pick up a few colours from the main part and just do a simple crochet border, or maybe that pointy edgeing I have seen on Lucy's site. They look like triangles.

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  2. What a lovely treasure and memory of your Nana.

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  3. WOW, the blanket is gorgeous and clever you for deconstructing it and putting it back together again.
    You were a cute baby, check those dimples in your knees. :)
    Anne xx

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  4. Hi,the blanket is great and it would not really matter if there was no border,but the plainer the better I think..not that i know much lol Carole xx

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  5. That is such a treasure and such a beautiful post. The only knitting I can do is blanket stitch and I'm sure us knitters would love to add squares but then it wouldn't be Nana's blanket. Or knit very long 'scarves' to sew to the edges. I, by the way, have serious crochet envy, as I can knit but can't crochet.

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  6. What a treasure......:)) I agree with "A Blessed Life" the plainer the better.. Maybe a couple of rows of (Aus) DC, that way it would not detract from the original pattern..
    Beautiful pic of you and your Nan.. Thanks for sharing it with us:)0

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  7. Stunning blanket!!!! a granny border maybe?

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  8. It is beautiful and I am really glad you made the effort to save it.
    I don't know the name of crochet stitches but a wide, maybe 1,5 inch,very plain border would be lovely. Anything with patter would detract from the body of the blanket. If its as good as your usual work it will all be fine.
    Lizzie

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  9. Jaquie,
    You did a great job! waw! and the blanket is so special because made by a loved one...It is a treasure! You are so right taking such good care of it!
    I think a simple crochet border (like your double V border because it is like a triangle:))with the cream color would be perfect!
    Have a beautiful day!
    Angie

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  10. Such a gorgeous blanket and how lovely that you treasure it! You have done a brilliant job with it! I think a simple pointy edging in one sold colour would look great!Love the picture of you with your nanna! Hope Mr Lurgy has left your house so you can get on with enjoying the festivities!
    Rachel x

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  11. What a wonderful saved blanket. I love the colours too and think I'd use one of the pale colours to do a border. Love your Nanna's cup and saucer too!

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  12. Such a treasured blanket with lovely memories of your nanna and a gorgeous photo of you both too! I haven't crocheted for years, but I would stick with a simple border, something that draws the eye to your Nanna's wonderful work and shows it at its best.

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  13. Youve done a marvellous job! Your nanna will be smiling. The photo of your Nanna is beautiful. xxxx

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  14. What a gorgeous post, Jacquie! Love the picture of you with your Nanna! I too think a cream pointy border would set of your Nanna's beautiful blanket perfectly. Lots of love, Amanda xxx

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  15. What a beautiful blanket. You are clever for restoring it so carefully.

    I think I agree that a plainish crocheted border would suit it best - how about two simple stripes; a cream and then pick out one of the other colours?

    Whatever you decide, I bet your Nanna would be thrilled to bits to know what care you are taking.

    Hx

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  16. What a lovely blanket , what about a couple of Granny stripes around the edge in some of those pink tones? My nan is 96 and still lives alone, she has always inspired my crafting !
    Louise x

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  17. It's a beautiful blanket. I would redo the simple border your nana put on it. That way you really see the blanket pattern, with no distractions.

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  18. What a lovely post. And what a fantastic way of rescuing such a treasure from a loved one that no longer is around. I am emotionally taken by this post and I love the blanket you have there.

    Edging? I would make your Double V edging. I used the double v edging for a baby blanket recently, first row was single crochet stitches all the way around, after that I made the double V in every third single crochet loop. IT came out perfect, just wide enough and idn't take away from the stripes in my blanket but ended up being teh perfect icing on the cake. And I would probably try and find the darker red colour for the edging. Good luck and Happy Christmas blessings.

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  19. Its so beautiful and made more so because of nana. I would do a thick border, like the one on the rug. Picking up a colour from the blanket, and maybe a colour that is in your curtains to match too.

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  20. Wow! Your Nana would have been so proud of you for putting that beautiful blanket back together. Personally, I wouldn`t go for anything overly-fussy as a border. Perhaps something black and plain or stripey to really set off the pattern which is truly stunning. Clever Nana.

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  21. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful, personal post. What an amazing nana for making such a beautiful thrifty piece of handmade knitted goodness. It's a true family keepsake and something to be treasured forever xox

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  22. What a wonderful post. Such lovely memories and what a treasure to save like you have. I would crochet an edging for it using similar colours and do a few rounds of different colours.
    A x

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  23. What a lovely post. I think a row or two of dc (uk) and then a row of crab stitch in a contrasting colour would look lovely and still be plain enough not to detract from the wonderful triangle pattern. Xx

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  24. Great post and wonderful blanket. I think a simple edging, but wider than the original would be great. A couple rows of granny or single crochet would look nice. I'd also keep the extra squares and put them on a pillow or something with buttons or crochet to seal the bad spots. Then you'd be using the whole thing. Thanks for sharing!

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  25. My word that is glorious!! I love the design, and I think (if it were me that is) I would do a fairly simple border on it using some colour inspiration from the main blanket.
    I love the way your Nan used tiny little bits of wool, a gentle reminder that I might be a bit more careful in my crafting from now on (she writes, blushing at the thought of some of the Bigger Bits of wool that have been discarded!! Whoops!!)

    Sending love
    Julia x x x

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  26. Hi Jacquie, this is such a lovely story, and the blanket is amazing, such gorgeous colours and you've done a great job of restoring it. Perhaps an edging to match one of the lovely pink shades? Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Sarah x

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  27. What a beautiful treasure. I would do a few rows of single crochet as this will be strong enough way to keep the knitted blocks in shape, but just my suggestion. Colour? Biscuity colour. But lovely way of restoring something so special - love the pics as well. Cx

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  28. Oh you lucky girl. Judging from pic with Naana...you r bout my age. I have a lovely Nana too. She is 96 yes young. I write of her quite often. You did a fab job at rescuing this treasure! Enjoy it every day!!

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  29. How lucky are you!
    That was quite a scary undertaking I would imagine, to take it apart!
    You've done a great job though. It looks fabulous :0)
    I think a nice granny edge would look good -keeping with the geometric theme...
    Maybe a couple of rounds in similar colours...
    Have a great week Jacquie...
    Donna x

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  30. Such a beautiful post, Jacquie! Sweet memories on a blanket! I guess a border in I-cord would match perfectly (but it is a knitting work...). I like this one very much: http://mitricot.blogspot.com/2009/07/purple-blanket.html
    (There are videos showing the technique)
    Have a great week! :)

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  31. awww the memories you shared then brought a tear to my eye, your Nana looks like a beauitful fun lady and polka dot tea cup bless her trendy to ;-) I have to say i love her sofa, and the blanket on the back i remember my mum and dad having them and us on our beds. Your nana's blanket is stunning and well done you for restoring it she would have been so proud of you i am sure, a beautiful family keep sake to treasure and enjoy for years to come. Good luck with the border. Dee x

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  32. Oh Hello,
    I've found you through Melanies blog Cosy Living.
    What a nice blog you have and also very talented, your nana would be very proud of you.
    I loved the afghan..I would suppose by now you've finished it, but from the looks of it other than a slight border it needs nothing, it's awesome the way it is.
    So glad to have found your blog, 100 posts since March..I feel like a turtle compared to you. It's taken me 2 years to do 100 + posts..tsk tsk.
    Barbara

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  33. Hi, I have just found your blog and I too love to crochet. Your Nanna's blanket is the most gorgeous blanket I have ever seen. You are so lucky to have it and well done for repairing it. I am sure it will be loved and appreciated for many more years to come.

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  34. This one is also very beautiful! I love her changing colour sneakily!x

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