I was blessed to spend a lot of time with my Grandma while I was growing up.  We got together frequently for family dinners and to celebrate birthdays and holidays.  We spent a week together every summer at  Lake Powell  (and 2013, 2012, 2011, 2008).  My sisters and I joined in singing with Grandma in her choir. She passed away over a decade ago, and still one of the most prominent memories I have of her is her beautiful singing voice.  She and I had a lot in common, and even more so now that I’m also an adoptive mama. I love the connection we had.

She had a collection of intricately beaded cashmere sweaters. After she passed away I wanted to preserve her memory in a tangible way, so I used two of the sweaters to create stockings for myself
and Ellie.  My heart was pounding as I made the first cuts, but I knew those sweaters would not be used by anyone in the family as sweaters.  With a lot of my mother-in-law’s help, I sewed the sweaters into these beautiful heirlooms that Ellie and I cherish.

I also used the sleeves of the sweaters to make mini-stockings for my mom and sisters as a sweet little reminder of the woman we all hold so dear.

I want our boys to have meaningful treasures like this as well, so one of my 35 by 35 goals is to knit stockings for each of them.  I completed Elijah’s stocking this year and plan to finish a new one for Ethan (he’s currently using my first-ever knitting project stocking.  Oh, it has so many problems!) next year.

I used this pattern from Purl Soho, modified to better match the size of our other stockings (yarn) (and in Canada). I am so pleased with how it turned out and I hope that in the future Elijah will look on this as a treasure, made by his Mama who waited, prayed and longed for him.

I will be taking a break from this space for the next week and a half or so. My plan is to soak up this holiday season, to focus on relationships with family, friends and my Savior.  I’ll see you here in the new year, with ideas aplenty. I am so thankful for you, dear readers!  Best wishes to you this holiday season.  May your days be full of true treasure: family, faith, love and kindness.