Inspiration Sunday - what? she wasn't a natural redhead?

One of the inspiring people in my life when I was growing up was my paternal grandmother and she is probably the reason for my 'crazy' DNA too. 

It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I discovered that my gran was not a natural redhead, how daft is that? I always remembered her has been a redhead when I was a kid and as she got older she went grey, most of the old photos were in black and white so of course it wasn't obvious. She also decided to learn to horseride when she was 49 and had a horse called Red for her 50th birthday. It must have been quite a significant day for her because she also wore this... (modelled by the lovely Di)

My gran was always making things, she knitted, embroidered, crocheted and much more. She tried to teach me to knit and crochet but I didn't pick it up very well. She was also big on recycling and upcycling, at Christmas she would save the used crackers (pulling crackers not cheese crackers!) and make them into the three wise men.

gran and Ebi-kun

She often made us gifts for Christmas or our birthdays and it was always worried anticipation when it came to opening them. One year I get a pair of mitts, one was twice the size of the other and neither fit. Then there was the goth jumper... she made me a nice knitted jumper in black but it had a row of reindeer running around the bottom, I put in a request for another, same size but plain black. Got it back, it was bright red with three rows of deer - goth fail! It did make for a good riding jumper though and she did make me a sloppy purple jumper too, that I still have it is now all mis-shapen and the sleeves have stretched but it is great for those, feeling under the weather days.

Although we often laughed at my gran and her crazy ways back in the day, now I feel like I 'get' her. Now I am the one who steals away the ribbon from gifts received and looks at everything wondering what it could be made into before it makes it to the bin. I still can't knit or crochet well but I do like embroidery but I wonder if mine will ever be as good as hers...

the front

the back

So, who in you life has been an inspiration to you? Is there someone that not until years later you realised what an influence they had on you?