Good morning! We had such a lovely, lovely weekend filled with friends and good times, but alas, that meant I couldn’t squeeze in any sewing. However, the Guy Fawkes party alone was well-worth the sacrifice (I have a good friend who is a Brit), and I indulged in a little mulled wine and quite a few “Sticky Parkins”, which tasted a little like gingerbread. A cozy group of us bundled up in winter gear and gathered round a fire pit with techno colored flames. Fun, fun.
So instead of a sewn project, today I’m sharing this clever little sweater that K’s wearing. My mom made this last winter, and it’s got its own built-in scarf, which I think is brilliant. She knitted it during her visit along with this other one I featured before, and you can see the similarity. At the time, this particular scarf sweater was much bigger than the one with the button, and now K is nearly outgrowing it.
After last winter, my mom stopped producing her normally outrageous amount of knitted and sewn objects. In fact, when she came to visit this past summer, she didn’t make a thing. Sadly, this is because her eyesight has been steadily declining, and by October, her left eye was significantly compromised and her right eye was nearly blind.
It turned out to be cataracts, and after a successful surgery last week, her vision is back to 20/30! She’s still recovering from the procedure, so we’re not sure if she’ll be able to make it out to Seattle this winter, but it’s looking promising.
It’s been a wake-up call, bringing to the forefront the realities of aging parents. Surrounded by the youthful energy of K and her friends as I am every day, it’s easy to forget the other end of the spectrum. And it makes me treasure my mom and all of her creations that much more.
The good news is that as part of a preliminary check to make sure she was fit for the surgery, she underwent a full physical exam — something she hadn’t done in 35 years! My mom is a big believer in natural healing and she’s avoided hospitals and doctors like the plague. Well, she must be doing things right, because her results were pretty stellar. When we see her next, I’m planning on grilling her to get her healthy living secrets. You better believe that I’ll be documenting her methodology.
So for today, a little tribute to my amazing Mama. I hope there will be many, many more clever sweaters and handmade delights!
I am so happy about your Mom’s news. Such a boost for everyone. Please tell us any good ideas to get the same results.
Will do, Greta 🙂 thank you!
I think the sweater is brilliant–warm like a sweatshirt except so pretty.
I think she should market this idea, don’t you?
Lovely tribute, Sanae. It is hard and at the same time nice to remember how delicate is life, because it make us appreciate more the present. Your mom is genius, I mean Jumper+scarf=great idea! My mom is a fantastic knitter and she did so many things for my daughter when she was a baby, but not so many for my son (sad face) but she has been through health problems too. I have been treasuring all those gems, in the hope to pass them to my daughter when she grows up.
So sorry to hear about your mother, Maria – the passage of time is hard on the body…my mom is determined to live well past 100 in good health so I’ll share any health tips she’s found to work 😉 I imgine your mom’s knitted creations are fabulous, and she’s obviously passed down some awesome creative genes to you! 🙂
I hope your Mama is recovering nicely. And your daughter is lucky to have that lovely sweater with scarf. It looks very stylish! I have been knitting for 20 years, but I rarely ad lib. Your mother seems to have ad lib as a lifestyle choice. Maybe that is her secret to good health.
Yep, my mom is all about adlibbing, Max, and it very well could be the secret sauce! 20 years of knitting is totally impressive – I wish I had the patience to knit!
what an ingenious idea to add the scarf to the sweater! Your mom is a keeper for sure on so many levels. It’s so wonderful to have moms we love!
Yes, indeed! She’s a good one, my mom 🙂 thanks, Kristi!
Such good news about your mom, Sanae! And when you discover her secret for her stellar health, please share with the rest of us – unless of course it means cutting out chocolate from my life. That I simply cannot do:)
Your love for your mom is so evident in your writing . . . I love reading about her and almost feel like I kind’ve know her a bit through your wonderful anecdotes. Thanks for sharing her with us!
I’m afraid chocolate might be on the blacklist Lucinda! My mom tries to avoid sweets…on principle, I may not be able to adopt her health hacks 😉 thank you for your kind words, Lucinda!
Your mom is amazing! I love that sweater. I’d like one in my size.
Right?? Major fashion labels should consult my mom for innovative ideas! Thanks, Liza Jane!
So glad the surgery went well for your mom! She can make some super amazing things that sweater being one of them!
Thanks for the sweet words, Em – so far so good with recovery! And yes, my mom is antsy to get back to painting/making, but I think she’s going to have to take it easy for just a little bit longer…still, good things ahead!
best wishes for a speedy recovery for your mama! so glad they figured out the cataracts and fixed her up. seeing stuff is important. 😉 very cute sweater too!
We were so happy that she had the least intrusive kind of cataracts, Kristin! Losing eyesight is scary for everyone, but for someone like my mom whose eyes are her lifeline, it must have been torture. We’re thrilled that she’s healing well so far 🙂
Your mom is a genius, as well as the rest of the family. Good genes! So she’s now got 20/30’s vision with 60/70’s wisdom. It doesn’t get any better.
My mom IS a genius, Jing! She also has two genius brothers: one is a jewelry designer and the other a master sushi chef — creativity runs rampant in her family 🙂 And you’re right, it doesn’t get any better!
That sweater is amazing ! I looked on Ravelry, the mother of all knitting pattern sites , and could not find anything that remotely resembled it. Your mom is truly special.
Thank you, Deepa! My mom is an original through and through!