On Friday afternoon, I spent two hours teaching several ten to twelve year old girls how to knit and purl. The feedback has been wonderful. Three parents (including a dad) have seen me at church, on the street, in Starbuck's, and informed me that their daughters are so excited about knitting. The dad told me that he has to insist that the girls observe their usual bedtime, and his daughters have replied, "Just a minute. I have to finish my row!" I assured Dad that The Professor has heard those words literally thousands of times as I've raced through the last ten stitches before turning out the bed lamp light, opened the car door, or started cooking dinner. Evidently I'm teaching these young ladies well to understand what's important!
I choose to use my leisure time passing on my fiber art skills. I consider it part of my legacy to the next generation. Who will knit charity hats, cozy scarves and sweet baby sweaters after my hands are cold and stiff if I don't show these girls now how to work the purls and knits, the increases and decreases, the pick ups and bind offs? Hanging out with enthusiastic tweens keeps me young. They make me laugh. They make me proud. I'm lovin' it.
Because I'm a left handed knitter, I have enlisted the help of a brilliant and creative seventeen year old young lady who is the TA in four of my writing classes. Pen can learn a technique on Thursday and teach it on Friday. I do not want to confuse anyone with my "Hold the empty needle in your left hand, no, your right hand. Umm, wait a sec... yes, your right hand, no, your left hand..." mumbling as my brain works to translate left handed to right handed knitting. Pen's young and agile brain can make those transfers so much faster than I can.
I'm looking forward to this Friday! The girls will learn to decrease and increase and then they will be able to make this scarf--
The instructions for knitting this scarf are free online here.
Details for my scarf: Willow's handspun superwash wool, leftover from a spinning project done for someone else. Size 9US needles. 3 1/2 inches wide, 78 inches long. Usually, I wear it doubled and then looped around my neck because I like the warmth.
7 comments:
Hello there Willow! Good to hear you are passing on those skills. Your post made me smile, as I so often just need to 'finish another row!', either before getting out of the car, turning off the light or starting to cook. :-) Ros
That is such a fun scarf pattern. I, too, have made it a couple of times (several years ago) for my girls. Of course, yours is special with the lovely handspun yarn! Mary
I see you are teaching well! Ha! Enjoy the knitting...
I would love to be a part of a beginner,s class led by you.
How wonderful to share this with the next generation.
I wish I could knit. I'm much better with a paint brush or camera, than needles, so guess I had better stick to that. So wonderful you are passing on your skills.
That's great to hear of young people enjoying knitting. Seemed for a long time that knitting was deemed to be old fashioned and just for grannies.
This is wonderful Willow, passing on skills like this is so good - God will reward you for everything good which they knit, and if they teach their loved ones how to knit too then the blessings continue.
Aqeela xx
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