My mother a’’H was a knitter. As children, my Bubby a’’H taught all her daughters to knit. Many of the items they made, they sold for parnassa.
From a very young age, I can remember my mother always had knitting needles and yarn in her basket. Whenever she was sitting, she was knitting.
Give her a pattern, and one, two, three the item was finished. And if she wasn’t knitting, she was sewing. My mom was so proud of her Singer sewing machine that was a piece of furniture. It was the latest 1950 model.
As a young girl, I took ballet lessons, and my mom made me gorgeous costumes.
Growing up in Montreal, where the winters are very cold, my mother would knit for my brother and I. She made us hats with designs and matching scarves and mittens. We had so many sweaters. My brother had vests with collars and pockets. Every now and then, she would knit for herself.
When neighbours gave birth in she always knitted a hat with 'pussycat' ears and booties for the newborn . My mom once knitted me a skirt with two different tops. On the skirt she sewed poodle appliques. I loved that skirt.
My mother did teach me to knit but I never really got the bug. I started many, many scarves but didn’t finish any. As a teenager, I once asked my mom to knit a sweater for me that I saw in a magazine. She told me to knit it myself and she would help me. Long story short my mom finished the sweater and that was the end of me knitting.
Times were changing and my mom sort of lost her taste for knitting. My brother and I were getting older, and hand knitting was going out of style.
Once she stopped, I didn’t see my mom pick up knitting needles until my daughters were born. It is amazing what grandchildren can do. A couple of years later, my brother got married and there were more grandchildren. My mom was back to knitting sweaters, booties and hats.
My daughter Naomi, sent me a picture of her granddaughter Oriya, my great granddaughter, and my mom’s great-great-granddaughter, wearing booties that she made for her great granddaughter Bat-el [the baby’s mother] 24 years ago.
What a thrill I had to see this picture! Naomi told me she also has a sweater and hat that my mother made.
My mom passed away in 1999. I can only imagine how pleased she would be to know her great-great granddaughter is wearing booties that she made for her mother.
That’s all for now.
Miriam
