The Humble Hobbyist vol.3
Knitting victories, handmade gifts, and baby's first heirloom!
Knitting
I knit a thing! Or three!
I refused to be defeated by knitting so I went back to the drawing board and found actual beginner friendly patterns that would allow me to practice technique and build confidence.
Behold the trifecta of knit dish towels:
I loved that I could see the progression of my skills across the three towels. I made several mistakes in towel 1 (i.e., knitting one set of the wave pattern onto the back side of the towel, general wonkiness), but by towel 3 my stitches were more uniform and much neater.
It’s giving persistence 💪🏾!!!
Up next I plan to make a neckerchief or shawl before taking the sweater plunge.
Sewing
Our nephew who’s obsessed with space, dinosaurs, and construction vehicles turned 4 so I made him some TGM exclusive gifts!
There’s variety in style so he’s prepared for any occasion. In the words of his mom, “picture day is gonna be lit” 😊!
Last year, Datrianna’s great-grandmother, Gramma, passed away. I’d had the privilege of knowing and building a relationship with Gramma over 13 years; she loved me from the very beginning and her favorite way to show it was by talking smack. One year while we lived in D.C., she baked a chocolate birthday cake, my absolute favorite, and shipped it to me — something only a grandmother would do.
When I shared my sewing journey with my grandmother-in-love (Gramma’s daughter) a few months back, she immediately offered to gift me Gramma’s serger sewing machine. My jaw all but hit the ground, I was so excited and honored. The perks of being the only grandchild that sews!
I brought this baby home from Atlanta, dusted her off, gave her oil and new needles and she works like a charm!
If you’re unfamiliar with sergers, they’re the machine that give the seams of your garments a sleek finish and prevent unraveling. Turn your shirt or pants inside out and you’ll spot it. Sergers can be REALLY expensive, though I’d pay a million bucks for a serger as special as this.
From what I could learn online, this machine is likely older than me 😱. Also, who knew Toyota made sewing machines?
It’s pretty cool to think about how many lives it’s lived and wonder what Gramma might’ve sewn with it. I hope that I can someday pass it down to our children for them to cherish.
There are no words to describe what this machine means to me. I’m just so happy to carry Gramma with me in my sewing and continue to honor her legacy. I’ll think of her with every garment that I sew and know that she’d be proud. She was my girl 💚.
Do you have any family heirlooms? Or items you wish to inherit?
TGM
Not my eyes sweating. Ok let me be for real, I’m full on crying. I’m so proud of you and the ways you love our people through your many hobbies. Thank you for honoring my grandmother’s legacy in such a deep way!
Is someone cutting onions? The sewing machine is SO special; I'm so glad you get to keep that in the family. Also, those neckties are the cutest things I've ever seen in my life!