Sumiko Kageyama (born in 1925)

My name is Reiko Kageyama, born and raised in Japan. Here I would like to talk little bit about my grandmother, Sumiko. She is my mother’s mother, and we used to live closed to each other until I moved to a bit far when I was at age 7.

She was very kind and warm person. Though she was always in the shadow of my grandfather who had strong impact on my life, she was always there to support us. 

My memory with Sumiko starts with knitting.

She was married at age 17 and served as a housewife since then, so she is good with practical things, like cooking and sawing. Besides these skills, she taught me knitting.

I could not find any “completed” pieces she did, but I remember I was fascinated by her skills back then. It was like a magic for me as a string becomes one sheet-like and get longer and longer to become something… 

There are many different techniques in knitting and each technique should be used for different outcomes. For example, stocknette stitch is good for making sweater, as each stitch is small and tight together so that it keeps you warm. Crochet stitch and Double crochet stitch are good for making things like a hat for spring/fall as it is not so warm due to the rough stitch, but gives elegant patterns on the surfaces.

I liked crochet stitch better as it was easier for me to use only one needle instead of using two for stocknette stitch, but she tried to teach me hard one as it is more challenging. She also taught me how to be challenging and patient.

Now she is 84 years old. Recently, she had to have surgery due to some stomach problem. The operation went well, but because of her age, it takes really long to get back to the same condition as she was before. She is still in the hospital after a few month, but getting better every day. 

 

Whenever I visit her in hospital, she always thank me for coming visit and worry about me getting back home as I live a bit far.  

Knitting maybe one of the special skills she taught me, but as I see her now in the hospital, she still teaches me many things, such as caring heart. Her attitude to others even when she is in the hospital and feeling pain makes me wonder if I can be like that when I am the one suffering. And it makes me think how kind and warm she is, and that is something I should be following. 

I am proud of myself that I was born as one of the grandchildren of her, and I appreciate this project as it made me think about my grandmother a lot.  

Reiko Kageyama