From Boston to Philly to DC and back again in three days. I am certainly the weary traveler. But all the time on the train meant major progress on the u-neck sweater.
Yee-haw!
And the stopover in Philly meant filling up on my mother's gnocchi and sugo alla bolognese as well as some gifts to add to the growing stash of sewing supplies and notions.
Fifty- to thirty-year-old spools of silk and cotton thread that belonged to my mother's father, the shoemaker. I was speechless.
Then, my mom unearthed some of my old barbie clothes (hey, no judgment!) and pulled out a tiny pink seed stitch sweater my father's mother knit for my barbie. One of the last photos of my grandmother I have before she passed away at the age of 101 last fall can be found here.
And then she hinted about giving me a crocheted bedspread that one of her aunts made for her wedding forthy-something years ago.
I feel so truly blessed to have all these treasures from my family and be sure that I am starting to fill LL's hope chest (yes, I will continue this tradition no matter how old-fashioned it seems to some) with these truly exceptional pieces of art.
i don't think continuing the hope chest tradition is old-fashioned at all! LL will likely feel just as you do about treasures passed along to her!
Posted by: nova | December 13, 2006 at 08:13 PM
I am so thrilled that my boy will be marrying such a beauty who has the added bonus of having a hope chest.
Oh wait. That sounds creepy.
Maybe it's just not funny to talk about arranged marriages between our children after all.
Posted by: martha marin | December 13, 2006 at 09:41 PM
I think hope chests are wonderful things, and the sweater is looking great!
Welcome back!
Posted by: Amy | December 13, 2006 at 09:57 PM
My grandmother used to knit outfits for my barbies too! I wish I still had some of them around. Maybe I should check with my mom.
Those are some lovely treasures!
Posted by: laura b | December 13, 2006 at 10:01 PM
The spools are gorgeous! For a minute, I thought they were yarn on cones.
Posted by: Siow Chin | December 13, 2006 at 10:36 PM
Hope chests are a wonderful tradition. And you (and LL) are fortunate to have such beautiful things to put in them.
Posted by: Emily | December 14, 2006 at 06:17 AM
Very sweet! The Barbie sweater is awesome. You've seen the Epstein books (Knitting for Barbie, Crocheting for Barbie - or something like that?)?
Posted by: June | December 14, 2006 at 07:28 AM
Wait, are you sure you weren't just in Vermont? Sounds like there's more tenderness in Philly than you've let on...
Hope chests rock.
Posted by: cupcake | December 14, 2006 at 07:42 AM
Wow! What exceptional gifts, you lucky girl. And how lucky to have busy hands on an idle journey.
Posted by: laeroport | December 14, 2006 at 09:29 AM
What a ramping-up great post--gnocchi sounded wonderful . . . but then I saw that rainbow of thread . . . and then came that so so stylish Barbie sweater . . . I'm overcome!
Posted by: Viva | December 14, 2006 at 12:04 PM
What wonderful memories.
Posted by: Stephanie | December 14, 2006 at 01:45 PM
Score on the thread! Mama D rocks!
Posted by: Siobhan | December 14, 2006 at 05:03 PM
Yay for progress! And for scoring all that thread. Very cute Barbie sweater - how sweet that you are passing it on to LL.
Posted by: Maritzam | December 14, 2006 at 06:47 PM
The hope chest is definitely a tradition worth keeping! I'm sure LL will enjoy her treasures some day as much as you enjoy yours now.
Posted by: Jennifer | December 14, 2006 at 07:56 PM