Ciao!
Annette
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Mother's Day - about a bed throw
Today it is Mother's Day in Switzerland and my dear children celebrated me with handmade gifts and cards they had made in school. I guess I could have shared it here but as the gifts are very special and unique to me they might not be as wonderful for anyone else to see in a picture... It is the gifting part, the proud faces, smiles and my hugs in return that makes them so special. Without that they are only kids' crafts. Any kids' crafts. So I decided on skipping that part. Instead I want to share some words about another mother who now is in heaven looking down on us.
Eivor was a hell of a woman. Independent and devoted to life in the old fashion way. She went fishing, berry picking, mushroom hunting. She was baking, sewing, crocheting and knitting. Embroidery. Yes, you name it. A real grandma with all the old fashion skills. She made jams and compotes and filled our cupboards with homemade cookies and breads. In blueberry season we had blueberries in a big bowl waiting on our doorstep. Cleaned and ready to eat with milk and sugar. We had chantarelles for the autumn roasts. The freezer full of gooseberries, raspberries, cherries and cranberries. To make crumbles. Or just eat as they were, sucking on the the frozen berries like candy. I still do. She made wonderful blankets, made us rag-carpets from our old bedlinen and clothes. She was fantastic in many ways. A quiet woman though, prefered to be on her own.
Eivor made me this bed throw when I was 16. At the time I guess I didn't really reflect over all the work behind it. It was on my bed for years up until I met Jay and moved from Sweden. The bed throw ended up in our country house in Sweden, in a box, like so many other things that I owned. I found it last year and was overwhelmed by its beauty.
After starting to crochet myself I suddenly realized how precious this piece of art is. I brought it home with me. It stays at the bottom end of our double bed. It is beautiful. And I love it. I can't really figure out how it is made though... It would be fun to try and make a square...
Thank you Eivor for such a great gift. Happy Mother's Day to you up there in heaven. Thank you for being an inspiration to me. For making me realize the importance of continuing using the old fashion skills of making homemade produce, artisan crafts and the value of hard workmanship. I will do my very best to teach my kids about these skills as well. I want the next generation to know and understand the pleasures you get out of making your own things and growing your own food. I wish I had understood how beautiful this throw really was back then, but better late then never.
Ciao!
Annette
Ciao!
Annette
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Hi Annette!
ReplyDeleteI have a tablecloth made by my Grandma with a very similar pattern, you can see it here http://www.flickr.com/photos/58872962@N08/5489677318/in/set-72157626050490567/
I have no idea how yours was put together, could it be a slip stitch between the squares? Mine was put together in a join-as-you-go method... I really love it too, as well as all things I inherited from Grandma.
Happy Mother's Day!
xx
I totally understand what you mean about not realising the value of the gift at the time - my grandma taught me to crochet as a child and it's only now that I have taken it up again - 30 years later. My grandma gave me a table cloth that she had crocheted and somewhere along the line I decided 'oh that doesnt go with my current life' and I gave it away! I cringe with shame now thinking how long it took her to make it - I can only hope it went to a good home.
ReplyDeleteHej!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post and yes the bed cover is a real gem. And I totally recognize the feeling of not understanding how special a handmade item is until you started creating yourself.
Roligt att hitta en svensk här ute i blogosfären oxå;)
Underbart överkast!! Jag har ett liknande som min farmor virkat och precis som du skriver så när jag började virka själv så förstod jag plötsligt vilket otroligt hantverk och jobb som låg bakom överkastet.
ReplyDeleteThat throw is so beautiful, Annette. And it's lovely to think that the things we make now can be giving people pleasure long into the future too. I think the square is made by starting with working in rows to make the mesh, then working in the round from then. Let us know if you figure it out!
ReplyDeleteJane
Muy bonito todo ,y la niña preciosa Felicidades¡¡¡¡¡desde España mariajoseveira.com
ReplyDeleteÅh, vilket handarbete!
ReplyDeleteHelt fantastiskt underbart!
/Stephanie
I found the pattern,in my bookshelf by mere coincidence! How wierd is that! I have written about it in my blog you can go have a look and read the patter in swedish, I will try to get a translation made too but you can go on over and find it!
ReplyDeleteETA: to add the link to the post: http://stashbusterblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/bohusruta-or-long-lost-pattern.html
Great and touching post, Annette. I miss my grandma too, so I can understand your feelings and your memories. Thank you for sharing, Clara.
ReplyDeleteThis is simply beautiful. It looks as if it is made with cotton yarn...am I correct?
ReplyDeleteI am going to try to remake the pattern by looking at it-it looks simple enough to do. If I succeed, I wil surely send you a copy if you'd like, or post it here to share.
How large is each square, anyhow?
It looks as if the last row of each square is a simple single crochet around the chain stiches. And it looks as if the squares are then joined together with a simple stich with a needle.
How special this must be to you, and what a lovely design - so simple in white and fresh looking, and so timeless. So glad for you that you rediscovered it and can now really enjoy it as a crocheter your self!
ReplyDeleteThe beauty of that throw takes my breath away...what a treasure.
ReplyDeleteJust so special and also very inspirational.
ReplyDeleteHere is another site that has a similar pattern
ReplyDeletehttp://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa061999.htm
or you might try
http://signedwithanowl.blogspot.com/2012/03/venetian-table-runner.html
This looks like the back of the work and I would love to see the other side. I found your post this afternoon and I used your photos to develop a pattern. Afterward I read the other posts and visited the links. That Venetian table runner link has links to a copy of the original 1915 Venetian square pattern used which is rather similar but is not the same as yours. There is one less row in the centre section and picots on the outside row.
ReplyDeleteI will publish my version of the pattern in the coming week I hope. I made a mistake on my first square, while I developed the pattern and need to remake it and take photos too. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story, your lovely throw. It inspired me to make =)
May I name the square Eivor's granny square?
Here it is! http://www.purfylle.com/2015/12/eivors-granny-square-pattern.html
Delete