Hello loves, it’s fair to say the last 10 years or so have seen an explosion of craft and traditional hobbies, and we love it, we are glued to the bake off and to anything that Kirstie Allsop produces as we try and recapture some of the traditions of the past.

I am sure that there are thousands of families that are quietly handing down traditions of their own, without the benefit of a television crew, this is what happened in my family’s crafting history. First up my great grandmother, Harriet Louisa Scoffins……

Harriet’s talent was cooking, making jam and lemon cheese ( a sinfully indulgent version of lemon curd) selling them in Lincoln market. Incredibly she would also make a Christmas pudding for each of her children and married grandchildren, that was approximately 35!

One of her 11 was my grandmother Barbera, she was a demon with the knitting and sewing needles, here she is in an outfit she made for herself, with my mum and uncle Mick also in handcrafted outfits……

And a slightly spooky Santa picture where mum wears hand knitted gloves and check out uncle Micks guards jumper again all her own work!

Now to the formidable talent that is my mum, every grandchild and every friends baby that has come along receives one of these shawls, intricate isn’t really enough of a description……

Then there are the quilts, one Christmas each of her three children received a quilt….

Finally, when my mum and dad used to have my daughter for two days a week, she used to set mum little challenges, this is the day when she decided she needed a dress like Disneys Belle complete with basket!…

Now did all that get passed on to me? Yes and no, I didn’t start knitting until I got medically retired, and I still cannot knit shawls to save my life, I cannot do colour work like my grandmother and we best not discuss my preserve making skills! but I did pick up that need to create and took it in different directions…

So, it really doesn’t matter whether your talent is textiles or tiling, wallpapering or weaving you do have a skill you can pass on. No kids to pass it on to? No excuse, get along to a youth club, or volunteer at your nearest school or nursery, let’s ensure that

these skills keep going, with or without Ms Allsop!

Kisses

Karen