ankle socks and grey school stockings

I hadn't realised that my Gran had knitted all of those things for my Mam and her sister Jean , but of course she had.

This is my Mam, aged about 3 playing on a swing and scowling at having her photo taken. The socks were knitted by my Gran.

I only found out about Gran knitting socks on Sunday when we went to Durham to see my Dad for his birthday. I had taken Passionflower * with me to get some knitting done and was wearing my Mimi jacket.

I was telling Mam about the things I've made recently and told her that I'd even knitted myself 2 pairs of socks. This set her off reminiscing about the things that Gran had made for her which included cotton ankle socks and grey knitted stockings for school. In the 30's and 40's schoolgirls wore grey woollen stockings in the wintertime which were held up by suspenders fastened to

their Liberty Bodices, which were essential garments for keeping children warm in poorly heated classrooms and homes.

It must have been quite a task for her to knit the girls stockings. She might have wished she'd had sons instead!

Gran always knit fine wool sweaters for Mam with fully fashioned sleeves and neatly shaped waists ( she had a waist of 19" when she married in 1953).

I hope that I can get my knitting to such a standard that I would be able to knit a sweater in fine wool for her. I remember Gran made all of our school sweaters and cardigans ( she must have really tired of all that grey wool) and she made me some lovely tops too, but I never remember handmade socks, only gloves.

*My brothers were fascinated by my knitting and no-one guessed that the yarn was cotton and soya!