A Fragment of Family

Today my sisters and I went to my grandparents for the afternoon. Gran's having an operation on her hand soon to try and repair the damage caused by a snapped tendon in her finger, so she wanted to teach my little sister and I how to do

My little sister's learning how to knit so she can help me with a project for Christmas and so gran was showing her how to do that, but she was also teaching me how to make pillow lace.

I've been wanting her to teach me for a while now, mostly because I really want to know how to do it but partially because it's a craft that's been passed down through my family and I don't want it to be lost. She's also giving me a Belgian lacing pillow (with a roller) which was my great gran's and was made by my great great grandfather. She used it until she was in her late 90's and it still has her last piece attached to it. This one - with similar continental bobbins - is the one made by my great grandfather and is the one my gran uses.

I always remember one of them being on the shelves in my grandparents old house and being fascinated by it. Unfortunately I can't understand the book she's lent me, but I can do two stitches she showed me and I can't wait to try and incorporate it in my jewellery designs. I really really want to carry on the tradition and I'm still a little shell shocked by the fact that she's giving me such a lovely gift with so much history attached to it.