Leggings posted to Australia

Here are some leggings which are now hopefully on the other side of the world, with my sister Lizzie. Jenny my youngest sister is over from Spain staying with me, so she was able to model them. Here they are worn with the slits over the heels, but they also look great turned round so that the knots are over the ankles or straight over the front. Yes I have taken pictures of all of these.

This is the first garment that I have 'designed'. The brief was legwarmers, in various colours, anything so long as they didn't drop down. Well the first thing was finding the yarn. In the mood I was in, it seemed absolutely daunting, I was in panic mode. However my subconscious was working overtime and I remembered some lovely yarn from Web of Wool. At the knitting group we had been knitting a 'secret' project with Limbo Colour and with 100% super wash wool soft and cuddly, so I had already used it. The colours are in the range requested. So I came home with two balls. They sat on the coffee table for a couple of days, then Thursday evening I got out some lovely wooden double ended pins and knitted up a swatch. I used tape measure and note pad, made some sketches and hey presto, I got started.

I find knitting very therapeutic and a form of meditation. So many pictures came into my mind mainly centered around the life of my parents and sisters in Mauritius. The leggings with the 'stripes' emerging reminded me of the puttees which my father used to wear when working out in the field in his capacity of plant pathologist, and how the weed seeds used to stick.

Then my mind wandered to the desperate day I had during the first of my two visits to Mauritius last year, where under the blazing sun I searched in vain for my father's grave with two of my mother's gardeners who felt sure they really knew where the grave was. By the time we were almost in tears and ready to give up, I found that the cemetery office was closed for the day. Later that day I sat talking to my Mum whilst I spent what seemed forever picking the weed seeds from my socks and laces.

As the heat seemed to seep into me, or was it a hot flush, whilst I was knitting, my thoughts went to my middle sister Lizzie and I thought of all her help and support, patience and dedication to my parents over a number of years. I felt 'privileged' to knit her something to keep her warm now she has moved to a cooler part of Australia....just had an email to say temps are down nearly freezing during the nights, so was pleased that I was able to get the leggings knitted and posted within the week.

I was pleased with the final design: the icord helps to keep the leggings up, hence keeping to the brief, and being used for Australia, the ankle icord tightened will stop any spiders climbing up! The turn down above the upper icord can be left up for added length or rolled over the top of your wellies....well if you have such lovely leggings you would want to show them off.

So within a week Lizzie will be wearing her new leggings....hope she likes them.

I'm starting on a pair for Jenny, and then a pair for me.