The Family Orbit

Devan and Dhilan meet the family

Heading home for Christmas is an annual ritual for many of us, but one that throws into sharp relief the shortcomings of the family imperfect. (Ok, so who can't identify with the imperfections of family? We'll discuss that another time.) 

This year's visit back to spend time with Mum and Dad involved the usual predictable grumble and groan, but we had more reason than usual to enjoy doing the Christmas rounds: my brother has just become a father to twin boys to the delight of everyone. We met them for the first time at Christmas.

At times, it's seemed as though I've been on a one-woman mission to knit, knit, knit in time for the happy arrival, but the excitement of the event has overtaken us all. Meeting up with my sister-in-law's sisters and brother a few days before the big day, we were all bubbling over with anticipation. Had they been habitual drinkers and superstitions not been so prevalent, I'd have proposed a toast there and then that the very next time we met, there'd be two more of us joining our families together.

When we met, on Boxing Day, it was the happiest of occasions. The little boys were two weeks old and doing well and presents for Christmas, births and birthdays were being opened and other family rituals were being observed. It turned out I wasn't the only knitter, at all. My mum has been making cardigans for when Devan and Dhilan are a few months old (and big enough for them) while the mother of proud Uncle Himi's girlfriend has made two beautiful cream jackets.

All, in time, will become pretty little heirlooms - for now, it's just wonderful to enjoy the safe arrival of two beautiful little boys and watch them grown into - and out of - many more cute little knits along the way.

The vintage vs virtue debate

We've been having a clear out. If you know how much I'm capable of hoarding, you'll understand why. We also acquired a statue and two boxes of heirlooms over the Xmas period and won't be able to pass them on for a while. And when we were at my Mum's over Xmas she insisted I sort through some cases of clothes I'm pretty sure I'd left with her precisely because the contents are out of season and she has far more storage space than me.

So, the clutter. Guiltily I threw out three perfectly good sets of bedding and several shirts. We also offed two other bags of old clothes and some random picture frames and bags. They were to be charity-shop bound but have sat around for months going nowhere. Instead, they've sat around looking messy and I've nowhere to hide them.

The trouble is, however tightly and neatly I pack away what I have, I don't have much room and I have too much old stuff. I'd throw out the old stuff but i'm conditioned not to. That jumper may be 16 years old but it was a good buy and there's nothing wrong with it. You see my problem?

As a would-be vintage fan I'd like to keep some of this stuff so have squirrelled away some favourite fabrics. I hope to surprise myself by reinventing some of these garments as handbags and other accessories - one more item on this year's 'will do' list.

But what of the rest? We often hear that clothes are made to be disposable these days, yet some of my 20-year-old tops and jumpers are still going strong. I'm currently wearing a top from the mid-80s I acquired from my Mum about a decade ago. Not everything stands the test of time as well, but many things come back into fashion eventually. Should there be a rule that anything above a certain age be thrown out and, if so, where on earth will the next generation of 'vintage' come from?