K&C Week Day 3: Your Knitting or Crochet Hero

My Knitting and Crochet Hero is my Great Nana Vera, she taught most of my immediate family to knit. She was taught by her Mother, and then went on to teach both her daughters (My Nan & my Great Aunt), two of her grandchildren (my Mum and my Aunt) and finally, she taught me.

When Nana taught me I would have been about 9 or 10. She was partially blind by then and how she managed to teach me, I don't know. We sat cuddled up on the edge of the sofa, as she slowly guided me with the needles. She knew that I learnt best when someone showed me, so she didn't bother trying to tell me how or what to do. About an hour later, I charged up the stairs (as she lived with my Nana & Granddad in a big house, she lived on the ground floor) telling the whole family what 'the best Nana in the world' has taught me to do. 'Look, I can knit like Nana now' I announced to the dumbfounded crowd before me. Before anyone could utter a word I charged back downstairs to attempt another lesson.

A few years before, she had knitted my youngest sister a cardigan. Katy adored it. I don't actually remember a time when she wasn't wearing it. Nan had knitted it a couple of sizes too big as Katy has an awful habit of getting too tall for her clothes, very quickly.

We still have it to this day, and it is still in perfect condition. I can't find the original pattern, so one day I would love to re-create it for my sister, with every detail right down the buttons. It will take a lot of designing know-how though, so it won't be happening for a while.

Nana didn't just knit though, she crocheted too. I think out of the two, she was best at crochet. Why? Well, take a look at this.

Beautiful, isn't it? I'm led to believe she crocheted this and a large tablecloth (which always came out for special occasions) for my Mum back in the 19080s. Unfortunately I couldn't find the tablecloth in time for the post, but I will try and photograph it soon as I'd love you all to see it. 

She knitted, crocheted, fed my chocolate obsession and always had a story to tell. That is why my Great Nana Vera is my Knitting & Crochet Hero, and I wish you'd all been able to meet her. She passed away several years ago, but I would like to think that if she was still here she would be proud of my knitting. And hopefully, congratulate me with a giant bar of Dairy Milk. 

Me & my Great Nana back in 1995, probably wearing
one of her hand-knits while attempting to feed me chocolate.
Which was always a messy job!