Fancy a granny who knits?

Now here's a great idea ... Grannies, Inc., a company where you can order knitwear knit by none other than real British grannies. Brilliant!

I almost couldn't believe Grannies, Inc. existed, but it's totally legit. If you don't have a British granny of your own who can knit, just hire one! It doesn't matter where you are in the world, or what you want knitted -- the site has some standard items like hats, scarfs, and mitts, but if you want your hired granny to knit you a pink jumper with purple sheep, she can most likely do it for you. The standard items are all knit in 100% merino wool spun in Devon, but if you're allergic to wool? They'll happily make substitutions. You can let your granny know how you'd like your hat knit, and the prices are reasonable given the labor (and love!) that will go into each hat -- for example, a medium purple beanie with white stripes will cost £34 (roughly U.S. $54.75). They don't even charge extra for moss stitch!

What I really loved about the service is that you can choose the granny you want knitting for you. I wondered if all the knitters had to be grandmothers, but it looks like some of the knitters aren't technically grannies ... just women who love to knit. What a great concept on so many levels. The concept supports the local economy, it keeps women working and producing a product that's highly valued, and it's preserving a handcraft. Love it!

Were I not a rabid knitter myself, I'd put in an order. Hey, maybe I will considering I have six pairs of mittens to knit by Christmas! Has anyone here tried them or would be tempted to try? Let me know in the comments!