The moths had a field day with this wee jumper that I knit for my son when he was two years old.
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| The sleeves say ZOO |
The inspiration, and perhaps the animal patterns, came from a thin book called "Everyone's Knitting", which originated in Denmark or Sweden in the 1970s - I can't find it either on my shelves or on the internet. This pre-dated the fair isle craze of the early 1980s, and then the intarsia revival...
I remember the excitement of knitting "just one more round" to see the pattern developing, and the pleasure of seeing the child wearing it. And - using odd balls of wool, making it out of what was to hand (those were financially stringent times).
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| Deer, alligators, lions, elephants - and what are those birds, pterodactyls? quetzalcoatyl? |
Thirty-some years later, the moths have had their way ... and into the bin it goes ... oh well, I can re-knit it if needed for another child (exchanging the geometric bands in the body). The measurements are 30cm across the chest, 31 cm neck to hem, 20 cm round the sleeve, and 20 cm length of sleeve. Essentially it's squares, within which you can do whatever you want. What fun it was!
And what fun this poppet was ... terrible two's, anyone?
Ahh, that IS sad. I remember similar joy in knitting my dad a sweater jacket from one of the kits popular in the late 60's - early 70'd. You may remember the bulky yarn & a large animal on the back. My husband to be had one with a buffalo knit by his mom. Dad got an elk from me as he was a hunter. My he was proud of it/me & so was I. Dad's long gone & I don't know what happened to that sweater. Maybe someone is still wearing it or perhaps it went the way of yours. But aren't the memories of the making & seeing it worn just the best?
ReplyDeleteLove the haircut - we have similar hairstyle photos in the family archive!
ReplyDeleteno, no ..do not reknit it. Treat as you would if conserving for a museum. Line with silk tule..to adhere the spots where the yarn no longer is. Then if you choose, "fill in" with currently available color similar threads. It is a valuable statement about real life.
ReplyDeleteack!! not in the bin! you can use it as a wheat bag cover
ReplyDeleteor do what momid5 says and conserve it - it is a work of art and a work of love and should be preserved.
Hi Margaret,
ReplyDeleteI think definitely conserve it as a museum would and as suggested by others.
What a lovely boy!
Love,
Sharon xx