Hallowe’en Lantern Tea Cosy

I have recently been knitting some Hallowe’en Lantern tea cosies for All the Fun of the Fair.  I had to fit them in before they became “out-of-date”.

If you would like to knit one – the pattern can be obtained from All the Fun of the Fair.  Originally I knitted 2 designs – one was a simple pumpkin and the other had the face on it.  I really preferred the plain one.  It would make a lovely everyday tea cosy if it was knitted in other colours.

I am not feeling very satisfied with my knitting at the moment.  I have several partly finished items – and there are a couple of babies’ coats that are needed soon for imminent arrivals.  I would like to knit something exciting – but I had better concentrate on finishing things first.

I have been travelling about a lot on trains – and I intend to knit – but often I just seem to read the newspaper.  The other day I saw a lady knitting a complicated fair-isle pattern on the train.  I couldn’t – I would just make mistakes.  I will be back on the train again tomorrow – and I will try to knit one side of another tea cosy.  I ought to be able to manage that without going wrong.

A Family Heirloom

Knitting can bring people together – even people who don’t get on very well.  My mother had a younger sister who I did not get on with  - but for a few weeks in the late 1970s we sat together and knitted pieces for a patchwork blanket. 

Previously my grandmother had made me a knitted blanket from rectangles of blue, white and grey yarn – leftovers from various projects.  I am ashamed to say – I don’t know what happened to it.  Grandma thought she ought to knit my sister a blanket as well but she had lost her enthusiasm and run out of yarn – she knitted a few blue and grey squares and then stopped.

My aunt was a very good knitter and she took over the project – knitting colourful striped shapes.  I was just learning to knit properly and I knitted a few multi-coloured oblongs.  My mother also contributed some pieces – hers are in stocking stitch – I am not sure why – but they are distinctive in the final blanket.

This week I have not done much knitting but I have stayed in my mother’s house – and while I was there – I looked at and remembered the time I spent with my aunt knitting shapes for this blanket.

I definitely will have to knit another throw from odd balls which mean something to me.  For example I have some yarn left over from a cardigan that my mother knitted for me when I was a child, and I have odd balls left over from various projects that bring back happy memories – and would make a lovely throw.