When I think of knitting, I think of a scarf, a blanket, or even a stuffed toy for a child.
But for one great-great grandmother, considered the ‘Queen of Knitting’ in England, her sights were set a bit higher than my crafty aspirations.
She decided to knit a massive duplicate of Buckingham Palace.
And it was made entirely out of wool.
93-year-old Margaret Seaman, from Norfolk, England, has only been knitting for the past 10 years. But she has shown that neither age, nor being new at something, shouldn’t stop you from making the palace of your dreams a reality.
The six-foot-long model of what is now ‘His Majesty’s’ main resident in London, took the crafty knitter more than 8 months to create.
For Seaman, this isn’t her first craft that has been honored by England. She has been awarded the British Empire Medal for her knitting, as well as having raised more than $120,000 for charities.
Her newest creation, Buckingham, has wiring used for the gates. There are miniature guards, as well as tiny visitors looking outside at the palace.
It is being showcased at a festival and Seaman is hoping to raise money for a local children’s hospice near her home.
The front of the palace. Photo by Keiron Tovell/SWNS
The projects she makes help keep her busy, she said. “I find it hard to walk, my gardening and walking days are over but I can sit and knit and raise money for good causes. I’m afraid I’m a celebrity now- I’m very proud to be.”
Now when I sit in the car whilst we’re out people knock on my window and say, ‘are you the lady that does the knitting?’ But I don’t feel any different- I’m still Margaret.”
She said she took up knitting after her husband Fred Seaman died in 2013. She joined a knitting club to make friends.
Her original claim to fame was her recreation of the royal home of Sandringham Palace, complete with Queen Elizabeth’s prized horse stables.
Knitted Sandringham – SWNS
She said that she got bored during the Covid-19 pandemic and used 34 balls of wool to make the NHS Knittinghale Hospital.
Seaman said that at least 100 balls of wool, donated from a local wool warehouse, were used for Buckingham Palace.
“I usually knit for about eight or nine hours during the day and then I go to bed at 9pm and I knit for another three or four hours. I don’t normally go to sleep until about 1am, 2am sometimes at the moment with so much to do.”
She said, “I start on a piece, work so far on it and then if I get stuck and can’t think what to do next, I leave it and start on something else. ‘Usually I’ve got five or six pieces on the go at the same time and I work on whichever one my brain tells me to do.’
But Seaman said that her fame still is a shock. “It still amazes me that people are so interested in my knitting. ‘I just love a big challenge and I like to keep myself busy. I never dreamed it would lead to all this excitement.”
Watch her amazing skill below. Tell us in the comment section what is the most amazing craft you have seen made.
Sources: Daily Mail | Good News Network
