My sweet grandma has made me so many beautiful things throughout my life. Quilts, dresses, bags, doll clothes, handknit sweaters… and the list goes on. Some of the things she made me when I was a child, I still use today. They are among my most valued possessions, and when I hold them, I can feel all the love she poured into them. I thought about knitting something for her for a long while, I wondered which pattern to choose, and wanted it so be something really special. I won a handknit in a friend’s giveaway years back, and the cowl was so lovely and felt so good to wear that I decided that pattern- Seashore Cowl by Milja Uimonen – was what I wanted to make for my grandma.

After deciding on the pattern, I came across the perfect yarn for the project by A Hundred Ravens, during my first time at Stitches West. I knew I wanted blue for her, and then found that gentle grey color that went so well with it for a contrasting color. (The names of the colorways were really fun too- Lady Jane Grey, and Mithlond, which sounds like something out of Lord of the Rings to me.) It was my first time knitting with superwash yarn, I thought she would appreciate the wash-ability.

I made a blooper not too far into my knitting, so I started again, and then made another blooper, so I started over a third time. (I like to mention that because to knit a new pattern and learn new techniques goes hand in hand with making mistakes. Since I have people ask me about learning to knit, and some who have felt discouraged, I want them to know that everyone starts at the beginning, and that even when you’ve been doing it for a long time there is always more to learn. When people have said comments to me about my knitting over the years, I’ve told them that I’ve learned what I’ve learned by challenging myself with patterns beyond my set of skills, having a determination to figure out how to do things, and by making a lot of mistakes. I should also mention that looking up techniques on youtube when I’ve gotten stuck has been super helpful.)

I got stuck in my knitting at one point, and set it aside for a bit. Once I found my groove, I worked on it here and there when I got the chance, bringing it along on trips and car rides. Since I picked it up and worked on it a bit at a time between other projects, it took me well over a year to finish it. It was a labor of love with the lace work and the fingering weight yarn, which is exactly what I wanted it to be. (When it was finished, I declared a break from fingering weight yarn.) Blocking it really opened up the lace, it was fun to see it transform. {Ravelry notes here.}

I love to share not just the finished knit, but the knitting story- with glimpses of the process. (And through the seasons- there were daisies in bloom in those first photos.)  I was so happy to snap some pictures of the finished cowl (thanks to Jeff for taking a few at the beach), and then mail it to my grandma. I didn’t get it sent in time for her 8oth birthday in the spring, but sent her belated gift in the summer. When we visited her, I got some pictures of her wearing it, and it looked so beautiful on her. The colors suit her well. I like the versatility of the cowl, you can wear it different ways. (My favorite way to wear mine, by the way, is draped down like an infinity scarf. I didn’t have a picture like that to share with you, but found the link to Lori’s lovely cowl under the project pages, and you can see what I mean in her third picture down.)

My grandma is so very dear to me (one of my favorite people in this world), and I’ve always felt a special bond with her. I think I take after her in certain ways. I’m named after her too. (Her name is Karen, and my mom wanted something for me that was similar, yet different, so they named me Taryn.) One of my grandma’s gifts is to make you feel loved, it’s one of the many things I appreciate about her, and it felt wonderful to give her something I made with my hands that would hopefully give her that same feeling she has always given me…

P.S. Another gift for her birthday, that my boy made for his beloved Gee Gee (great-grandma.) I just adore it- a magical fairy home in a tree with fairy dust and flowers all around. What could be better? It got a place of honor in her home, which delighted him when he saw it during our visit.