Saturday, August 22, 2009

THREE BAGS FULL…


My mother has come down for a hopefully-long visit, and she has brought with her, quite like Baa Baa Black Sheep, huge bagfuls of fluffy wool. She arrived, white hair in its usual disarray, a pair of knitting-needles poking out of her bag, looking very like the archetypal Miss Marple (that wonderful old lady detective created by Agatha Christie), who always carried her knitting along everywhere.

Somewhere in the middle of a busy schedule of sudoku (in the newspapers) and minesweeper (on the comp), she plans to knit a few sweaters for my two daughters.

Now, knitting is not something I have ever managed to master (I usually end up knotting more than knitting). My daughters are extremely scornful about my (lack of) knitting skills and have already complained to my mother that “Maa toh amader kichhu i buney deye naa” (Maa never knits us anything).

As if we are all dying of cold in hot-and-humid Mumbai because I have not knitted sufficient quantities of warm woollens! Anyway, my daughters have already placed their orders with their Dida (grandmother), choosing complicated patterns from two dog-eared pattern books, and colour-schemes from the available stock of wool.

And although I should feel disgruntled, I am actually feeling kind of meltingly-warm inside, watching the three of them discuss pattern and colour solemnly, two smaller black heads nodding wisely to suggestions made by the older/whiter one. And I am not even wearing a sweater!

28 comments:

Sumandebray said...

Njoy quality time with your mother.
We had all our sweaters knitted by Ma during our growing years. We had our share of design and color combination in those days!
All the best to the two smaller heads for colorful fashion wears

sujata sengupta said...

Thats such a warm picture drawn by you. I love too see my kids bond with my mom, They are her life. I cannot hold a knitting needle straight..so kids dont even ask me..butmy daughter is learning to sew and knit..

Ugich Konitari said...

Grandma's are always so special. I remember, on a visit to my folks, my daughter would happily eat all the veggies she refused to eat home. Whats more, she even firmly told my mother that "aai la farasbee chi bhaji yet nahi" (Aai cant cook french beans at all)...:-)

I guess there is something magical about the very old and the very young. We folks are sooo boring na ?

Aparna said...

My mom loves to knit and every time she is here, my 2 daughters also end up taking lessons, which they promptly end up forgetting the minute she is gone.
My brother and I grew up wearing the sweaters my mom knitted for us. In Delhi we really needed those sweaters.

SJ said...

I am sending the papers, sign them and send ur kids along with the grandma to my place. Every story involving ur kids is just so cute!

I can just see them all hovered over patterns so so cute. Hey you should check out this site called Ravelry. You only need to register and you can access a bazzilion patterns. I am so sure your kids will be all over the computer!!!

Nupur said...

The last liner created a lovely picture in front of my eyes.. "2 black heads nodding...." It sure must be a lovely scene to witness and feel meltingly warm inside :)

Have a nice time with your mom and her grand-daughters ;)

Tomz said...

Hey there..very interesting writing..Thanks fr visitng me and dropping ur comment..well u like Agatha Christie..does that mean you don like Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle? I am a huge fan of this Holmes..well I am going to follow ur blog..and I prose at here myvanitymoments.blogspot.com

Tomz

Indira Mukhopadhyay said...

Sucharita,
khub bhalo laglo ...tomar blog pore mone hochhilo...as if we r sitting and having a cup of tea ...chit-chat... nice !! keep blogging!!!

ZB said...

very warm post. Life is full of such small pleasures, when we run for larger ones and fail. :)

nsiyer said...

Extremely well written and reading your post one feels at home.
Grand parents can be great company and children love them necause they get thoroughly pampered.

Anonymous said...

Thats so cute. I can almost visualize the scene. The power of your writing is amazing.
I love knitting, but never had the patience of finishing anything I started!!!!
Have fun with mom and bonding. We just got back from mom's home and we are missing her miserably.....

Chithira Menon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chithira Menon said...

nice post... my knitting skills rnt nething to write home abt,bt even i remember my grandmom showing off her knitting skills...which i never learnd to master..

aMus said...

a lovely picture created here..grandparents are real precious...and a treasure to have around

Unknown said...

My knitting skills suck I end up with holes (small ones and big ones) all over which my ma and sis have to keep redoing. My sis and ma are very very good and me I never have to make a single one..... I just tell them I need one!!!! and I get it !!!

Have a blast with your Mom!!!

Nona said...

Enjoy! Now that your mom is around, it should be easier for you to manage stuff! Pray for sudden colder climate so that you can wear sweaters. :)

Vineeta said...

I happen to see ur blog on Indiblogger! And quite liked the woman touch given to it :)

I felt the warmth in your post which is very very touching. I hope you never knit and get to see such lovely talks in your house :)

btw.. I have started following ur blog.

Sucharita Sarkar said...

@Suman,

My maa has knitted sweaters for us also. In fact, having her is definitely quality-time for everybody, me included.

@Sujata,

I love my maa bonding with my daughters. It just makes me feel so happy and RIGHT!

@Suranga,

But strangely I feel very happy even when my maa and my daughters sit together and trash me.

@Aparna,

I hope my daughters do learn some kniting from her in the future. You know what, knitting is said to be de-stressing!

@SJ,

Thanks for the link. I'll show it to maa, who'll be all over the place, I guess.

Sucharita Sarkar said...

@Nu,

Thanks, just having maa around makes the sun shine brighter!

@Tomz,
Thanks for following. will definitely visit your prose-blog. I like Conan Doyle as well, but Agatha Christie is my 'most favourite'.

@Indira,
Thanks for the lovely comment!

@ZB,
I look forward to these small pleasures (related to mu mom's visits) for the whole year.

@NSIyer,
thank you. I had a wonderful time with my four grandparents, and my daughters love their grandparents as well.

@Jyothi,
I too miss my mother terribly every time she leaves.

Sucharita Sarkar said...

@Chitz,
Even I can't knit anything beyond scarves.

@Suma,
U R right! they are a treasure.

@Ranu,
U are doubly lucky! Having both a sis and a mom who can knit well is great!

@Nona,
mumbai and cold! that would be something really impossible - like a Bollywood film!

@Vineeta,
Thanks for visiting! And following!

Suchismita said...

You paint a very nice picture of your mom. Hand knitted sweaters! real nostalgia. I think it is a lost art these days. great that your daughters can still build such 'warm' memories...

mothers visits are so wonderful. enjoy it to the fullest.

Suchismita said...

P.s. have added myself on as a follower....

Pinku said...

:)

envy you...enjoy!!

manju said...

Must be nice to see your mother and your daughters bonding. Grandparents and grandchildren have such a positive and uncomplicated relationship!

magiceye said...

makes for such a warm cosy picture!

Sucharita Sarkar said...

@Suchismita,
thanks for following.

@Pinku,
Thanks!

@Manju and Magiceye
Yes, really heartwarming and positive.

Meira said...

awwwww..maybe when you visit their kids, they'l flock around you too, discussing blogs :)

Swaram said...

Wow! A post full of love n warmth [keeping the wool aside too ;)]

'knotting more than knitting' - ROFL :D U rock :)

Do share pics of the end results plssssss :)