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Needles of Iron

March 25, 2009

More Knitting History

A couple of posts ago, I talked about my mother teaching knitting in the backroom of the local five and dime in my hometown of Greensburg, and about being The Resource.

Wisest Sister commented on that post.

"FYI your mother gave knitting lessons at our home before I was born(Yes, even then!) She also sold yarn. The tatting edge that she added to a pillowcase was payment from a lady who did not want her Mr. to be able to criticize "wasteful" spending on lessons. Mom also knitted a skirt for herself...and later used that yarn for a jacket for me. (Yep, she "unknitted" her skirt so I could have something special. Love, WS"
Well, I didn’t know that! Imagine. I knew that Momma was very keen on the early version of ‘reduce, recycle, reuse’, which was ‘use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without’, but she thrifted yarn?

My mother, again, goes before us! What we think is new…

So I remarked to Wisest Sister…tell me more. I say to her,

"I have a little knitted outfit in my hope chest, a skirt and vest of tweedy looking yarn, grey and cream and black. I wore it in kindergarten. The story I remember is that it was worn by the ‘Big Girls’ before me. And Eldest Daughter wore it when she was a wee tyke."

Well, apparently…

"The knitted outfit is the one that was Mom's skirt! My memory misfired that it was something else, but your memory helps me. (That’s what sisters do!)"
And here it is…

A skirt and vest, all grey/black/cream tweedy...and wool...scratchy on a five year old's skin!


Buttons up the front...with reinforced buttonholes...ten of them!

Ribbing around the bottom of the vest...

Slits about one inch deep for 'belt loops' for the ribbon belt...all the way around.

Is that not just something?
There is some discoloration, and some moth holes. The FO has to be sixty years old, the yarn older. (I feel certain that the moth damage is from long ago, and that in the hope chest and in the dry Colorado climate it is safe from further damage.)
We may not be EZ and Meg Swanson, but we sisters, well...we have our own family history of knitting.
And I'm thinking it's a strong one, just like us...
Posted by Iron Needles at 5:09 PM
Labels: family, knitting

9 comments:

myblackfriendsays said...

I like the belt (:

March 25, 2009 at 5:42 PM
Anonymous said...

Remember when Only Brother said"the Kruse women have always been strong." We still are!!! Love, WS

March 25, 2009 at 6:25 PM
Stacy Kraus McDonald said...

Love this post!

March 25, 2009 at 6:49 PM
jan said...

I was thinking about that outfit not long ago. I was wondering what had become of it, since I hadn't seen it in many years! I recall wearing it once, perhaps, and that it was rather warm!

March 25, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Mary said...

What a treasure!

March 26, 2009 at 6:49 AM
Anonymous said...

I thought of something else..when I was small, WW2 was going on. I remember ration books for gas, sugar, tires and chocolate...but I wonder if yarn was scarce...maybe that is why Mom recycled it. Just a thought. Love, WS

March 26, 2009 at 8:44 AM
Anonymous said...

Its beautiful, you're very lucky to have all this family history. Thanks for sharing.
Sandra Singh

March 26, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

That is so pretty! And, I loved the story... :)

March 26, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Susan said...

I love this post, what a treasure that is and what a wonderful story behind it.

March 29, 2009 at 8:22 PM

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