My studio has a wall of wool. I love it.
I learnt to knit at a very early age and was to be seen walking around the house knitting with the wool tucked under my arm.
At about 8 I decided to knit a Peggy Square blanket for myself to coordinate with my new orange fluffy candlewick bedspread. They were created in the 1930’s by a 4 year old girl named Peggy Huse.
30 stitches, 30 rows and cast off. My progress was slow and after many months my grandmother in Christchurch sent me a parcel. It was 10 Peggys Squares. The best present. It soon became clear that oddments of wool come in all colours so began the change of design and I was grateful for any colour gifted to me. My mother was encouraging and sometimes a new square was made when I arrived home from school.
I enlisted my brother to be in my memory blanket. Taught him to knit and it was decided his slow pace was better achieved with 15 stitches so his square has a join down the middle and I knitted the other half.
My sister did some squares that were a bit fancy 2x2. She is a tight knitter so with a bit of stretching and pressing and a change to the layout everything fitted together.
The middle square had rows of purl and my sister embroidered my name in the middle.
Not sure how long it took to finish but a long while when other things take your interest as a child. My mother lined it with grey cotton that wore out so she attached a piece of fabric that I really wasn’t too keen on.
That blanket was so warm.
Over the years I have donated knitting and wool to different organisations.
A knitting donation for 0-3 months delivered for Out and About in Hawkes Bay. A charity group that does great work for babies and children and families.
