The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

Banner by Free Pretty Things for You.

Thursday 28 August 2014

She works with her hands with delight.

Lately I've posted a lot about handiwork, crochet, little acts of charity that can mean so much to someone and how busy hands make happy hearts!

My happy memories of beautiful things my Nan and Mum made for my babies and the hand made gifts of knitting and sewing from my Nan's friends.  All these years later I still appreciate them so much. 

A week ago I was at the farm and as always every time Mum sits down she picks up her knitting. My parents are farmers and have not slowed down. They both work harder than most people in their twenties!

When Mum sits down she is still going! Mum makes knitted rugs, hats, jumpers, all kinds of things for everyone she ever hears of having a baby, for the Nuns to give to anyone in need, for the premie babies in hospitals, for cancer patients... for anyone.




Recently she gave knitting to a mens shelter in the city. Well, a funny thing happened. She was watching TV and it had a story on this mens shelter. A man was being interviewed and he was saying how the shelter had given him help and he had turned his life around. He was wearing one of mum's hats! She recognised it straight away! That was lovely, there it was!




Hospitals often need hats so tiny for really premature babies. There are so many needs. 

Mum has a simple philosophy and Nan was the same. If you are sitting down you might as well be doing something useful. It calms you. It helps people. It makes you happy. 

And it works! 

Mum says "some people do nothing you know" as if shocked by this. Mum and both my Nans' come from a belief that everyone can do something to be helping someone else. it doesn't have to be huge, it might be making a pie or minding a baby or sharing spare eggs but they were always helping someone.


(baby rugs)


When Nan's neighbours arrived in Australia traumatised from escaping war Nan took it upon herself to teach them English and show them the ropes! And best friends were established!


                                        (these are cotton hand towels)

For Mum one of the main things is knitting for others. Our own gifts of helping could be anything but I think we all have certain gifts that we can use to help. Nana B, hers was cooking. She always said "an ounce of help is better than a pound of sympathy".



The day I took these photos Mum was sorry her supplies were "depleted" as she has just send away heaps of stuff and was starting again. So this is "all" there was. Yet it was mountains!

What is your gift of helping? Just listening to someone who needs someone to talk to is an act of charity, especially when maybe you really don't have time but you do it anyway. Or you check back later to see how they are. The ways are endless and most of us do many things a day without even counting them as kindnesses, it's just how we are.
But we don't know what it might mean to someone.

And like in the movie Pollyanna there is nothing that cheers us up like helping someone else. It's a miracle worker. 

"She works with her hands with delight" turns out to be as good for ourselves as it is for others. 

In Mum's cupboard she has baby layettes that her Great Gran made and Chloe and Lucy both wore them. And my Great Gran made a set of lemon hens and chickens. I played with these and adored them and Mum still has those. I feel their love and presence in these beautiful things they left being for us. What treasures! 

There is just something that says love about handmade things. 





10 comments:

  1. It's clear where you get your talent from Annabel. What a lovely post :)

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    1. Mimi I know you had a wonderful Mum too. It makes me wonder what I might be doing that comes from way back, like my Great Grandmothers and was simply passed along. I love that. xxx

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  2. My mum was the same. She always sat down with a rug to crochet or something to knit. I think we are getting back to that now as crochet and knitting has become popular again amongst young people. You have a rich heritage of giving in your family!

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    1. I agree Nanna Chel. I love to see people discover how happy they feel when they are creating something! Such a source of happiness. Our Mums knew the secret! xxx

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  3. What a wonderful mother you have, so very inspirational for me. So many beautiful knitted items made unselfishly.

    I really like the knitted cotton hand towels. I would love to make some as gifts, if it is not too much trouble could you provide the stitch pattern. Thanks

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    1. Dear Ronniie,
      I am not sure where you are located but in case you are in Australia we get the cottons from Bendigo Woollen Mills, by post. It is gorgeous. I will ask Mum about the pattern but she probably made it up as neither of us can read patterns and both of us do something wrong in our stitches as our double and treble look different to patterns! But I will ask. I am working on dish cloths, hand towels and wash cloths in cotton. I love them! Next I want to do lacy edges on pillowcases. Last year I did crochet edge pillowcases (pictures are in an early post) and they made really nice gifts! Thank you for your comment, Ill get back to you if Mum can provide any details. xxx

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    2. Good morning Annabel. Thanks so much for your reply. Amazing that you can't read patterns but make so many beautiful things nevertheless. I love your gift ideas, thankyou for sharing them. I especially like the idea of doing lacy edges on pillow cases.
      By the way I am in Australia and will have a look at getting myself some BWM cotton.
      God bless.

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  4. Those are such gorgeous items your mum has made there Annabel, she is so talented. Now we know where you inherited your talent and generosity.

    I love that your mum is so generous, loving and caring for others, she sounds like a beautiful human being and you are so blessed to have her xx

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  5. Her children arise and call her blessed.

    Hugs,
    Kelley~

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    1. Thanks Kelley what beautiful verses..
      I am hoping my parcel has arrive although I have no idea how long it would take! Loving all the ones that have arrived so far! xxx

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