'n Erfeniskombers / A Heritage Blanket

Ek gaan nie meer my somerkombers maak nie.  Ek's nie gelukkig met die patroon nie, die hegting nie, niks nie.  Ek hou net van die kleur en die idee.  

So.  Kas toe met jou, en iets ander word gemaak.

Amper 'n somerkombers

Daar broei al lankal 'n ander idee in my kop...'n iets wat ek wil maak, maar ek sit toe nog patroonloos...

My ma se tafeldoek.

My ma het as jong bewaarster 'n paar gehekelde tafeldoeke by die Kroonstad Vrouegevangenis gekoop.  Ek het nooit besonder baie daarvan gehou nie, maar kon dit nie oor my hart kry om dit weg te maak na haar dood nie.  Een het by my gebly, een  is na my sus in Ierland, en een is in ons see-huisie.  

Tot ek geleer hekel het.  Skielik kyk ek toe met ander oë na hierdie fyn-fyn hekelwerk, en besef hoeveel moeite en detail in die tafeldoek in is.  En toe wil ek dit ook maak, maar groter. 'n Sjaal, of as ek dapper genoeg is, 'n kombers.  Is mos maklik om net die patroon af te hekel...

Een motief - kom ek werk gou die steke uit.

Dit was net, eh...bietjie klein.  Ek kon nie eens die stekies ordentlik tel nie.  Ek sou 'n foto baie groot moes vergroot, of die ding onder 'n vergrootglas kry!

Skaal - so klein is die stekies!

Amper is my Groot Plan heeltemal gekelder.

Maar so loop ek 'n paar tweedehandse hekelboeke raak, en eendag, met 'n deurblaaislag, val my oog op...

Die Tafeldoek-Patroon!!
(in die vorm van 'n deken)

O Vreugde!!

Intussen gesels ek en vriendin Ronel, en sy vertel van haar beplande projek vir 2014...'n Erfeniskombers.  'n regte "heritage blanket" soos die kwilters dit ook doen; 'n kombers wat versigtig beplan word, met 'n spesifieke patroon en simboliek/betekenis vir die maker...en is ek nie ook lus vir so iets nie?

Wel. Natuurlik!

Die begin van 'n erfeniskombers

Ek het geweet ek wil die motiewe groot en sag doen.  Vinnis Nikkim is my enigste keuse, want dit moet steeds lig en nie te warm wees.  En donkerblou, dadelik geweet dit moet donkerblou.  My pa het altyd gesê dis die mees elegante kleur (nie dat ek hier mik vir elegant nie:-)

Aanvanklik het ek begin met Vinnis Nikkim in Navy, maar na twee motiewe is daar skynbaar in die ganse Pretoria nie weer Navy te kry nie, en vriendin Maryna oorreed my om te kyk na Midnight:

Midnight vs Navy

Sy's reg.  Keuse gemaak, tien bolle Midnight later en ek is aan die gang met my erfeniskombers.  

Die patroon is nr 6062 uit "The Complete Book of Crochet (Elizabeth L. Mathieson), 19e uitg, 1972.  Amper so oud soos ek, die uitgawe.  

Ek hoop om teen die somer klaar te wees. 

I'm not going to complete the Summer Throw.

I was never happy with the pattern, the joining, nothing.  I just loved the colour and the idea.

So.  Eventually I abandoned the project and moved on to something else. 

For the longest time another idea has been brewing at the back of my mind...something I really wanted to hook, but I was patternless...

As a young warden, my mom bought three crocheted tablecloths from the Kroonstad Women's Prison.  I never really liked it, but didn't have the heart to dispose of it after her death.  I kept one, my sis took one with her to Ireland, one remained in our little beach house.  

Until I learnt to crochet.  Suddenly I understood what really went into the making of those table cloths, the detail, the very fine little stitches.  It was then I decided on a remake of some form, but in a larger format.  A shawl, or maybe a blanket?  I thought it shoiuld be easy enough to derive the pattern from the motif. 

Except that it was a bit small.  So small that I couldn't properly count the stitches.  I would have to blow up a photo or use a magnifying glass!

I almost abandoned my Grand Plan.

But then, I bought a few old, secondhand crochet books, and upon paging through them...

The Tablecloth Pattern!!

(in the form of a throw)

Oh Joy!

And THEN, friend Ronel told me about her planned project for 2014...a Heritage Blanket, like quilters do it, a carefully planned blanket, with a specific pattern and symbolism to the maker or recipient...didn't I want to join?

Of course. 

I knew I wanted to make these motifs large and floppy.  Vinnis Nikkim was my only choice,, I love the colouyrs, and the blanket would still be light and not too warm. And dark blue, navy: I knew it was going to be navy.  My dad always said it s the most elegant colour (although I'm not going for elegant here :-)

Initially I started with Vinnis Nikkim Navy, but after two motifs, not a single ball of Navy was to be found in the whole of Pretoria, it seemed.  Then my friend Maryna convinced me to look at Midnight, and I was sold. 

She was right.  The choice was made.  Ten balls of Midnight later, and I'm going full steam with my Heritage Blanket.  

The pattern is nr 6062 from "The Complete Book of Crochet (Elizabeth L. Mathieson), 19e ed, 1972.  Almost my age, this edition.

I hope to be finished by summer.