Passing it on

Yesterday I took my youngest with me to one of my not-so-local yarn
shops. They were having a Tax Day sale, with lots of yarn on sale for
at least 35% off, and I had to see what they had to offer On the table
outside was some Rowan Biggy Print in a pink and white that Sarah just
kept touching and petting like it was a kitty. The woman working
outside started talking to her and asked if she knew how to knit, which
she answered in the negative but said she wanted to learn (which I
already knew but was waiting until she really expressed interest).
After talking some more and petting the yarn some more, Sarah agreed to
go inside with me so I could see what else was on sale, and what I could
score for me g While in there she was really enjoying being able to
feel all the nice yummy yarns, and after a few minutes I told her we
were gonna go get that pink and white yarn for her so I could teach her
to knit. She got all excited and ran outside to tell the woman she
spoke with earlier that she was gonna learn to knit. Oh, the joy on
this woman's face when she heard that! She then related how once Sarah
knew how to knit she'd always be able to do it, and she also told about
summers spent with her cousins - all boys - and rainy days where the
boys would be grumbling about not being able to play outside while she
sat and smiled while knitting away. Sarah loved hearing about this and
it made her more excited about learning.

After going back inside to pick up some huge needles for her little
hands, a couple hanks of Classic Elite's Posh cashmere - 35% off,
woohoo! - a yummy sock yarn I had never seen before - Mountain Colors
Barefoot, in gorgeous colors - and a couple new books, we went home and
sat in the recliner together, her in front of me. I cast 10 stitches
onto needles the size of fence posts - to me, as my current project was
a pair of socks on 2.5-mm DPs, and these are 19 mm - and put the needles
into her hands. I then guided her hands through the first row, my hands
over hers, telling her what we were doing. The second row I backed off
some, and by the third row she was knitting by herself. Now, she's only
8 and has a correspondingly short attention span so she "took a break"
after a few more rows, but then after dinner and her bath she was right
back at it. There we were, on the sofa, her in front of me, both
knitting away. Every now and again I'd hear, "Oops..." closely followed
by "Okay, I got it". She dropped very few stitches and knew when she
had and asked me to fix them when she did.

Today after school she took her knitting into her room to do while
watching a movie. Another obsessed knitter is born!!!

Heh heh heh...

The Other Kim
kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom

On Apr 17, 1:29 pm, "The Other Kim" wrote:
Today after school she took her knitting into her room to do while
watching a movie. Another obsessed knitter is born!!!

Yay!

VP

On 16 Apr 2007 19:08:54 -0700, Vintage Purls
wrote:

On Apr 17, 1:29 pm, "The Other Kim" wrote:
Today after school she took her knitting into her room to do while
watching a movie. Another obsessed knitter is born!!!

Yay!

VP
I think it's very smart to cast on for your girl for her first
knitting. So many books etc. start with casting on and I think it's
much harder than actually knitting.

Alison

Today after school she took her knitting into her room to do while
watching a movie. Another obsessed knitter is born!!!

Heh heh heh...

The Other Kim
kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom

What a wonderful story! Sounds like she's ready and rarin' to go. I
love the idea that it was the yarn itself that attracted her to
knitting (aint it always for us all?!) Good idea for the rest of us
to leave a trail of kid-gorgeous yarn around for them to find.

It's easy to see how proud and happy you are! Absolutely! You go,
girl!

Wendy

The Other Kim wrote:
Yesterday I took my youngest with me to one of my not-so-local yarn
shops. They were having a Tax Day sale, with lots of yarn on sale for
at least 35% off, and I had to see what they had to offer On the table
outside was some Rowan Biggy Print in a pink and white that Sarah just
kept touching and petting like it was a kitty. The woman working
outside started talking to her and asked if she knew how to knit, which
she answered in the negative but said she wanted to learn (which I
already knew but was waiting until she really expressed interest).
After talking some more and petting the yarn some more, Sarah agreed to
go inside with me so I could see what else was on sale, and what I could
score for me g While in there she was really enjoying being able to
feel all the nice yummy yarns, and after a few minutes I told her we
were gonna go get that pink and white yarn for her so I could teach her
to knit. She got all excited and ran outside to tell the woman she
spoke with earlier that she was gonna learn to knit. Oh, the joy on
this woman's face when she heard that! She then related how once Sarah
knew how to knit she'd always be able to do it, and she also told about
summers spent with her cousins - all boys - and rainy days where the
boys would be grumbling about not being able to play outside while she
sat and smiled while knitting away. Sarah loved hearing about this and
it made her more excited about learning.

After going back inside to pick up some huge needles for her little
hands, a couple hanks of Classic Elite's Posh cashmere - 35% off,
woohoo! - a yummy sock yarn I had never seen before - Mountain Colors
Barefoot, in gorgeous colors - and a couple new books, we went home and
sat in the recliner together, her in front of me. I cast 10 stitches
onto needles the size of fence posts - to me, as my current project was
a pair of socks on 2.5-mm DPs, and these are 19 mm - and put the needles
into her hands. I then guided her hands through the first row, my hands
over hers, telling her what we were doing. The second row I backed off
some, and by the third row she was knitting by herself. Now, she's only
8 and has a correspondingly short attention span so she "took a break"
after a few more rows, but then after dinner and her bath she was right
back at it. There we were, on the sofa, her in front of me, both
knitting away. Every now and again I'd hear, "Oops..." closely followed
by "Okay, I got it". She dropped very few stitches and knew when she
had and asked me to fix them when she did.

Today after school she took her knitting into her room to do while
watching a movie. Another obsessed knitter is born!!!

Heh heh heh...

The Other Kim
kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom


Great Kim,
It is a great feeling to teach some one how to knit!!! My last one was
a young lady from Church. Before that I taught my daughter how to knit
but she is 30 something . I am waiting for my grandchildren. My
grandson has already asked but, he is not 3 yet. "Can I make a blanket
too Grandpa?" Ava is 4 but has not shown as much intrest, she has
learned how to play Grandpa I think. I am working on a pair of pink
sock for her. She will ask some day.

My two sons annoyed when I tease them about learning how to knit. They
have seen me knitting and crocheting all of their lives.

Agan, great Kim!

Give her a hug for Gail and I.

Hugs & God bless,
Dennis & Gail

Way to go! So far only my middle grand daughter has been bit by the
knitting bug. Judy

On Apr 16, 10:29 pm, "The Other Kim" wrote:
snip


Today after school she took her knitting into her room to do while
watching a movie. Another obsessed knitter is born!!!

Heh heh heh...

What a wonderful story!

Higs,
Katherine

On Apr 17, 8:58 am, Alison wrote:
On 16 Apr 2007 19:08:54 -0700, Vintage Purls
wrote:

On Apr 17, 1:29 pm, "The Other Kim" wrote:
Today after school she took her knitting into her room to do while
watching a movie. Another obsessed knitter is born!!!

Yay!

VP

I think it's very smart to cast on for your girl for her first
knitting. So many books etc. start with casting on and I think it's
much harder than actually knitting.

It is, you know!

Higs,
Katherine

Katherine wrote:

On Apr 17, 8:58 am, Alison wrote:
On 16 Apr 2007 19:08:54 -0700, Vintage Purls
wrote:

On Apr 17, 1:29 pm, "The Other Kim" wrote:
Today after school she took her knitting into her room to do while
watching a movie. Another obsessed knitter is born!!!

Yay!

VP

I think it's very smart to cast on for your girl for her first
knitting. So many books etc. start with casting on and I think it's
much harder than actually knitting.

It is, you know!

And that's exactly why I did it this way, and it's why the art teacher
at her school did this when she taught my older daughter and all the
other kids at the school how to knit a few years ago. It's not fun to
struggle with casting on. The fun is in the actual knitting and seeing
progress. I figured that if I could have her actually knitting right
away she'd be able to have fun with it immediately, then later I'll show
her how to cast on. As long as all she's doing is making scarves I've
got no problem with casting on for her and letting her fly.

And flying she is! She's already got the "let me see if I can work a
row or two in the little time I have" mentality, working as much as she
can in the morning between getting ready for school and leaving. Her
scarf is close to 2 feet long, and she's almost exhausted this ball of
yarn. I'm gonna go pick up another ball or two of the Biggy Print she's
working with so she can have a proper length scarf to show off at school
on her next Sharing Day.

The fun continues :-)

The Other Kim
kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom